Obsession's Other Brother
by Verdot
Summary: [Book 1 of Myth and Legend] Alternates between the unknown adventure of Tifa and Vincent, and the reunion five years later. Who really knows the past? What really drives human intention? Not your typical story. My first work of multichaptered fiction.
1. Prologue A Gift

A/N: This is my first attempt at a fan fic. I'm not sure exactly how I want this story to go, so if anyone has any cool ideas, I'm sure to consider them. Just be nice, and if you're an Aeris fan, don't worry I won't mess her up, but she's not exactly a huge part in this story. Tifa fans will hopefully be happy...I'm not turning her into psycho jealous Tifa. Anywho, I guess you should start reading, eh?

6/17/04: Edited this for imagery content...it seemed a little disjointed to me. Hope this flows smoother now.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own these wonderful characters, the creative minds at Squaresoft do.

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**Prologue - A Gift**

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_****_

_**They never call it obsession when they are the obsessed.**_

"Then what do they call it?" she asked the voice, hoping that she wasn't going mad in the cold. It had been five days now, five days of wandering, and wondering why she even bothered the search.

_**You'll never find her anyway.**_

She frowned. She wasn't even sure she was looking for her anymore. She was just _looking_. All the while listening to arguments in her head. Her face seemed a little worn these days, and if it retained its current state, would lead some to believe her older. And none the wiser.

"Is this what its like to have demons?" she asked herself aloud. There was no one to hear, so she had started talking with herself. There was an odd organic echo in the ruined buildings and highways, and it comforted her to hear something like a human voice, even if it was only her own.

She didn't hear the low growl of some of inhuman being behind her. Her ears refused to recognize it for more than a tremble in the air.

"I'm a demon," it said.

She just kept walking, her boots oddly silent as she trudged through the rocky terrain. It was getting darker now, a veil thickening with each step. She glanced at her watch, straining her tired eyes to read the numerical display. It was nearly noon.

"It's because of Meteor," she whispered nearly inaudible to herself, as if the very word was a curse upon her tongue.

It was then that she stepped out of the tangle of once civilization and into the pit. Jagged scars of the earth lent sanctuary to eternally smoldering fires. The dim light the embers gave off made everything take on a hue of reddish eeriness. It was the desolation that was once downtown Midgar.

"Are you there?" she asked, hoping for a voice, a flicker of something alive.

Then she saw it, the small bright thing amongst the scarred grey of the crater. It was small and frail, but brilliantly alive.

A pink flower, blossoming in the growing darkness.

"Aeris, I never thought you had it in you," she said pulling out the container from her pack. She carefully transported the flower with enough soil to keep its roots protected into the small transparent device.

"He'll like this present very much," she smiled with glee. She tucked the parcel gently into her pack, securing it firmly within, her fingers lingering over it.

"So that's why you're here," said the voice behind her. This time her ears obeyed the voice's commands.

Quickly she whipped around, and stopped in a stance of aggression, her feet planted firmly, fists arrange in a convenient fashion. Her eyes strained on the figure ahead, and then opened wide when they finally caught it in focus.

"Vincent," she said blankly, lowering her fists and relaxing her knees.

He approached her slowly, deliberately, his emotionless stare confirming her identification of him.

"So how long have you been following me?" she asked, placing her hand akimbo, and exhaling in a slow manner.

"A while," he said, his hands relaxed at his side and his back in a rigid sort of formality.

"Well, I'll be heading back now; I've found Cloud's...well all our presents."

She nearly winced as she said "Cloud" and started to turn away. She hesitated in this half stance, and then willed her feet to begin walking away. She had gone five steps before she realized that Vincent was following behind her.

"What?" she asked. She knew that he would probably not respond, considering after all, he was Vincent Valentine.

"Tifa, you're going the wrong way," he said, after a long pause, pointing with his finger in the opposite direction, as if indicating the true path.

She smiled then, and added, "I know. You obviously don't know me as well as you thought." His eyebrows went up at this, but the rest of his face betrayed no expression.

"I guess not," he said, casually placing his human hand on his hip "you have other plans?" She stared at him, as if weighing the options in her mind.

"Yes, and I need your help," she replied, after some time thinking.

He nodded. Tifa turned back around and began her long quick stride. Vincent paused for a moment, letting her get a lead on him before setting out on this new course.


	2. Chapter 1 The Message

A/N: Ok, so this is five years after the previous chapter, if you get confused. I'll alternate between these two times, so if you ever get lost remember: Odd numbered chapters are five years after Sephiroth's demise. Also, the point of view switches every two chapters...so prologue and first chapter are Tifa, and second and third are Vincent...etc. I just like a sense of order...I'll let you know if it changes later on.

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**Chapter 1 - The Message**

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_Five Years Later_

She gazed absent mindedly in front of her, into the swirling mass of patrons, not focusing her eyes on any of them, simply _looking_. It had been a long day, running the bar, and she was tired.

Tifa's Seventh Heaven, her previous joint, had been smashed when Meteor hit. In New Midgar, she called the place The Flower Girl, a small tribute to her old friend.

She was daydreaming again, thinking on the days when she and a certain team of unlikely heroes saved the world...or something like that. It had been quite a while since she had seen them.

"Earth to Tifa!" a squeaky voice shouted, making her eyes focus.

Yuffie.

She smiled. She liked it when her teammates visited her, even if it was Yuffie.

"Long time no see," she said after a bit, still feeling the grogginess of the day's work.

The girl smiled wickedly. She was a bit taller than Tifa remembered.

"So how old are you now?" Tifa asked.

"21!" she shouted, "And I need a drink!"

Tifa was taken aback. _Has it been that long?_ Suddenly she felt very old.

Yuffie saw the change in her face. "You know, a drink?" she said.

"I know," Tifa replied, smiling a wane smile. She walked over to the tap and slowly filled a cup with some beer.

"You haven't changed that much," she said after getting Yuffie's drink.

"Ya, well..." Yuffie said between sips.

"So what brings you to New Midgar?" Tifa finally asked.

"Business," Yuffie replied with a groan, "It's hard being leader of Wutai."

Tifa giggled. It still struck her funny to see Yuffie with such responsibilities.

"We're doing Materia collections," the girl said, "Giving back to the planet...you know the routine."

Tifa merely nodded. It was near closing time.

"Hey, are you alright?" Yuffie asked her hand on Tifa's shoulder.

"Just...tired," she said. Then her eyes lit up. "Did you hear about the reunion?"

Yuffie grinned, "Of course, there was more then one reason I showed up in town."

She handed Tifa a piece of paper.

"I have a message for you."

Tifa looked anxiously at the yellowed paper in her hand. Somehow, she didn't want to open it.

"See you in two weeks!" Yuffie said, skipping her way out of the bar.

_Some things never change..._

Tifa decided to read it quickly, she had many things to clean up before she could close the place down.

It read:

_Tifa,_

_Turn around._

She spun around, her eyes scanning the bar frantically. Then she saw him.

"Vincent!" she shouted, leaping over the bar counter.

"Hi Tifa," he said, bracing himself as she launched at him, nearly crushing him with her hug.

"And that's all I've been doing for the past two years: running the bar, visiting Cloud and Barret and Marlene..." she said almost out of breath.

In the past hour, while she mopped and wiped down the counters, she told Vincent about her goings on. He listened attentively, knowing that sometime she would run out of breath.

"So how are you and Cloud?" he asked, with a little bit of a teasing smile. Tifa blushed.

"Fine," she said, "He's still sorting things out with himself."

Vincent nodded. He understood Cloud and Tifa's awkward relationship more than he would let on.

"So exactly where have you been?" she asked, drying a mug in her hand.

"First Wutai, then Rocket Town, then Corel," he said, "I figured visiting Yuffie first would annoy me the least."

Tifa laughed. She understood that Vincent and Yuffie mixed as well as oil and water.

"But you visited her anyway?" Tifa asked.

"Of course," he said, "She's still a friend. You guys are all I have."

Tifa smiled. She was glad that her friend didn't turn reclusive after that final battle. He seemed healthier for it...more alive.

"I really should find somewhere to stay soon..." he interrupted her thoughts.

"You can stay here," she said, "I have a spare room."

"I don't mean to impose..." he cringed slightly.

"Nonsense," she replied, "I'll go get an extra blanket."

With that she bounded off towards the back of her bar.


	3. Chapter 2 Three Steps Forward, Two Steps...

A/N:

This is back to right after defeating Sephorith, if you're a little confused about the time. Also, this is in Vincent's perspective.

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**Chapter 2 – Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back**

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_She should have sensed me by now._

He thought, as he kicked a small stone in her direction. She didn't even twitch. She just kept walking, closer and closer to the pit. He frowned.

He had been following Tifa Lockeheart for three days now, ever since she disappeared into the night from the Highwind. He should have let her be, and he knew that, but something compelled him to know exactly what she was doing.

**_Guilt?_** he heard Chaos rumble in his head.

Vincent shook his head. _Not now._

Then he looked up, and saw her huddled over something on the ground. A glint of metal caught his eye.

_No, not that. Tifa, don't do it!_ He panicked. He almost went running at her, but he held back. He didn't want to alert her to his presence yet.

She stood up with a container in her hand. Something was inside..._pink?_ He thought. He almost smiled in his relief. That's when he decided to walk up to her.

_Why am I still here? She's fine._ He thought as they walked out of the crater. Something held him on this path, keeping in time with her gracefully trained stride.

"So you thought I was going to kill myself, didn't you?" she finally broke the silence, her face contorted and grim. He nearly stumbled in his shock.

_Yes. I did._ "Of course not," he answered slowly and deliberately. The look on her face told him she didn't believe him.

"I saw the fight you two had..." he said after a long pause, "I know how much you love him."

She just frowned. He cringed underneath his cape. _I'll just keep my big mouth shut, that's what I'll do._

**_You could leave the talking to me..._** this time it was Hellmasker.

_I would almost agree with you...but we'll be there by nightfall._

He began to quicken the pace. No use prolonging this agony.

"We're here," she said, pointing to a stone statue of a girl, cover with moss and vines. It looked vaguely like Aeris.

_I hope this isn't some cheesy resurrection attempt. If it could be done, I would have done it for Lucrecia years ago..._ he thought smugly.

Before he could find out, however, a voice floated out of the foliage.

"Long time no see, Valentine, Lockeheart."

Tifa seemed to recognize the voice immediately, and stiffened up into her fighting stance.

"Come out and fight, bitch," Tifa said with venom in her voice. A feminine laugh erupted from the trees.

"You AVALANCHE scum never change," a blonde haired woman said as she stepped out of the shadows. A bald and a red head followed after her. They all had wicked grins on their faces.

"What do you want?" Vincent said clearly annoyed. He had his fill of Turks for his lifetime and then some.

Elena laughed again, "I need a piece of this bitch." She waved her gun in Tifa's direction. Tifa glared in reply.

_Ugh, just what I needed, a cat fight._

"Anything else while you're at it?" he said with mock sweetness.

"Ya," Reno said, "how about your gun?"

Vincent glanced down at Death Penalty strapped to his side. _Over my undead body._

Tifa's face suddenly changed, Vincent new what that meant...she had a limit break ready.

"Not yet," he whispered. She ignored him.

"FINAL HEAVEN!" she shouted, as she unleashed it on the three oddly calm looking Turks.

That's when he blacked out.


	4. Chapter 3 Reunion

A/N: Much craziness in this one. I'm not sure how I want this story to go, I just want to avoid too much fluff. I like switching points of view and time, just let me know if anyone ever gets lost.

9/19/04: Got rid of the annoying $#! stuff...not sure if I needed them before.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own FFVII or its characters. If I did, I wouldn't have as much trouble paying for college as I do.

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**Chapter 3 – Reunion **

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Vincent woke up before the sun rose.

_I still sleep better on hard ground..._He thought groggily, getting up from the floor to put on his cape. He fiddled overmuch with the straps, almost giving up on securing them at all.

Tifa was still asleep on the bed, snoring loudly. He almost laughed at the expression on her face, and the odd angle she slept in.

_It's a good thing she doesn't know how silly she looks. Or that I've seen how silly she looks._

He had come into the room late at night. Tifa had been screaming in her sleep again, and he didn't know the difference between her nightmares and reality anymore...

_I'd better get out of here before she wakes up. I don't need her telling Cloud I'm obsessed with her or something. _He smiled grimly at this thought.

He walked out quickly and closed the door. His Turk training allowed him to do this in near silence, and was good in that she didn't stir. He could still hear her snoring through the door.

On mornings like these, he took walks. New Midgar was a good place for walks, no one paid Vincent any mind. He liked that.

_I finally get to see my comrades today._ He thought with a dash of happiness. These were his _friends_ as surprised as that made him. He had fought with them, he'd even laughed with them...when the mood suited him.

_I guess I can thank Tifa for that reminder. She's so stubbornly loyal, even with me._

He grinned. Their platonic escapades would make one hell of a story someday.

_**Maybe you should tell Cloud...**_

_No, that's her job. She promised that._

With that, he headed out into the growing light.

_Later..._

"And you should have seen the look on her face!" Yuffie shouted with more than a little extra zeal. Barrett cringed at this explosive climax to her story.

Vincent observed the little storyteller with an amused look.

_Still annoyingly loud. _

The group had gathered in Barrett's new house, which was oddly very tidy. Something had to be said for Marlene's housekeeping skills.

"How the fuck are you?!" a rough voice jolted Vincent out of his private joke. He looked up and saw Cid's jeering face, cigarette clamped firmly in his teeth. Vincent smile.

"Fucking great!" Vincent replied, waiting for Cid's laughter. Cid looked like he might have a heart attack.

"Goddamn, I didn't know you cursed!" the pilot laughed, giving Vincent a hearty pat on the back. Vincent coughed.

_Still amusing, even after marriage._ He looked over at Shera, who was shaking her head slightly. Despite her influence, Cid's old habits were still glaringly in focus.

"So are you going to visit us again?" Shera asked Vincent, slightly nudging herself into the conversation.

"Of course," he replied, "and thank you again for letting me stay a couple years back."

"It was no problem," she replied, "The cap...Cid enjoys your company, if only to get a laugh out of you."

_A laugh? Oh, that's right..._

"Attention!" Vincent turned his head to the voice...it was Cloud.

_Once a leader...always a leader._

"Alright, now that everyone's listening," Cloud said with a confident grin, "I'd like to extend a thank you to all for coming to this reunion. It seems we're only missing Reeve, who's quite busy these days." A series of nods and um-hums commenced.

"I also have something very important to say," and with that he turned to Tifa, pulling something out of his pocket.

"Will you marry me?"

_Finally. You're smarter than I thought._

Tifa didn't move for a small fraction of an eternity. She started to move her mouth, but no words came out. Then, in a voice only Cloud could hear, she answered.

"I c-can't."

With that, she rushed out of the room, leaving a confused looking Cloud behind.


	5. Chapter 4 Old Scores, New Voices

A/N: A little more action, and someone else to add to the plot...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own FFVII or its characters. If I did, I wouldn't have as much trouble paying for college as I do.

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**Chapter 4 – Old Scores, New Voices**

* * *

**_I don't think you understand me_**

_I'm cold_

_**My brother once knew you well**_

_Please leave me alone_

_**Shall I introduce you to my other brother?**_

_Where am I?_

_**See, brother, she'll be perfect.**_

"STOP!" Tifa screamed, opening her eyes finally. This was a cold grey world. She was sitting on the floor of a room with no window, and it appeared to have no door. Only cold steel and a single bluish light on the ceiling.

The crumpled and still unconscious form of Vincent lay on the other side of the cell. The effect of the room was dizzying, and he seemed miles away from her.

_Stupid Tifa. Why did you have to get all limit crazy?_

She groaned. There was a small gash on her left arm. The hardened blood looked black, and gave her an uneasy feeling. Her side felt bruised, and her legs felt overly tired.

_Looks like they handled me well while I was out._

She sighed. The battle was still clear in her mind. Her anger had taken over, fueled by a haughty sense of pride. The Turks faces seemed undaunted as she unleashed her powerful limit break, an attack that was the zenith of her training and experiences. In the middle of her sequence, she saw Elena grab something out of her pocket, something small and black. A pain had shot through her body, stopping her well trained movements...and then all went dark.

_Looks like it got Vincent, too, whatever that thing was._

She beat her fist against the floor, and immediately regretted it. Her hand felt like it exploded.

"Godammit!" she cried, in the best language Cid could ever use.

She looked down at her hand. Her gloves were missing. Not only that, the floor was EXTREMELY hard. She set her throbbing hand into her lap and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to numb.

"Agh..." Vincent moaned.

Tifa looked over. He was sitting up now, half glaring at her and half wincing.

"Next time, do not be so hasty," he half growled, holding his right side.

"Sorry," she said, and looked away. She let her thoughts wander; knowing that talking with Vincent would be a waste of energy right now.

_I wonder if Cloud has noticed I'm gone yet..._

"They have taken my weapon," his voice jolted her out of her ponderings.

"I told you it was mine," a familiar voice said, echoing off the metallic walls.

Vincent rolled his eyes. Tifa looked around for the source of the voice, inspecting the bare cell with her eyes thoroughly.

Reno materialized through one of the walls. His eyes looked at the two with a twinkle of amusement. He held the Death Penalty in his right hand. Vincent gave the man a look that would kill.

"Children shouldn't play with guns," Vincent said with poison in his voice. Reno laughed.

"I came to extend an invitation to the lady," he said, the sarcasm giving his voice a strange edge, "Elena wishes to have a word with you."

Tifa glared. She thought that the Turks would be different once Sephiroth was gone. Somehow she had hope that Reno and the others didn't mean any harm.

"I said now, please," Reno said, a little impatient. The Death Penalty was now inches from her forehead. She started to get up slowly, watching Reno's every move with caution. Soon she was up and standing in front of Reno. He placed something in her hand.

Her body felt like it was tearing itself into a million pieces. Then in an instant, the feeling was gone.

Reno smirked, "Feels weird, huh?"

"Very," she replied, still a little shocked by whatever just happened.

This was a different room, for Vincent was no longer in sight. It somehow felt warmer, and more inviting. She relaxed a little, she couldn't help it, something felt..._friendly._

"Elena is this way," Reno said, pointing towards his right. Tifa started to move that way.

_He seems different than earlier...I don't know why, but I have a feeling he's helping us for some reason..._

They continued down a hallway is silence. There were no windows still, and no indication as to the size of the building...it could be massive or just a little shack with some optical illusions. Tifa shook her head...this disorientation was making her a little dizzy.

"In here," Reno stopped in front of a glossy black door. She went towards it and he opened it for her, stepped aside, and closed it behind her.

There sat Elena, reclining in a black leather chair.

_Bitch._

"Hello Tifa," she said smugly, "do you know why you're here?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that..." she twitched a little, sometimes Elena could really get on her nerves.

"I had to ensure that certain people didn't know this..." Elena said, and bit her lip. Tifa raised her eyebrows.

_Something is not right._

"I'm on your side," Elena said almost painfully, "Because..."

"What?" Tifa said, impatiently.

"We found Sephiroth. He's alive."

Tifa could only see red, all red in her vision. Then her stomach churned.

"He's looking for you Tifa..." Elena said in a half whisper.

"W-what?" Tifa gasped out.

"We had to warn you, but in a way Sephiroth wouldn't notice," Elena turned her head away, "Sorry we attacked you. This materia did shorten the fight." She held up a familiar small black object. Tifa grinned a little at the cleverness.

"Why is he after me?" she asked finally, getting a somber look on her face.

"Because he knows..." Elena said opening her mouth for the next sentence...

CRASH!!!

A loud noise thundered through the outside halls. Reno burst into the room, wide eyed.

"He's..." he began. Elena held up her hand to silence him.

"Impossible..." she muttered under her breath, leading Tifa out of the room.

They didn't even get out of the room before the heard a rustle of a cape and the metallic sound of a sword being unsheathed.


	6. Chapter 5 East of Eden

A/N: So so sorry about the seemingly out of character dynamic of Elena and Tifa! There's a point to it...but that's not how they are all the time. Something is amiss, and I can't tell you yet. Thank you for the reviews!

9/19/04: More fixups. Hopefully for the better.

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**Chapter 5 – East of Eden**

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_He shouldn't have done that. Not in public._

Tifa's boots stomped angrily through the streets; she had gotten quite far from Barrett's house since her mad dash from the reunion. She clenched her fists and but her expression was nearly blank, and quite out of place with the rest of her body.

_Damn him sometimes he's so careless. I don't like to be put in that sort of position._

She realized that she had seen the same red mailbox twice, and stopped. She had gone in a giant circle of sorts, she was nearer to Barrett's, but not close enough for anyone to see her.

"Are you going to pout all evening too?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

"Vincent, can't you just let me be angry?" she replied, she was quite used to his sudden appearances. She slowly turned around.

"I may love him, but that doesn't mean he can pull a stunt like that," she knitted her eyebrows together as she said this, which gave her a nearly comical expression.

"At least he's willing to...you have to give him that credit," he said with a hint of a smile tugging at the right side of his mouth.

"I don't want to marry him anymore..." she trailed off. Vincent was giving her a look she knew meant "and what else is new?".

_Quit being so damn perceptive. Gives me the willies sometimes. _

"And I think you're being foolish," he said, his tone a little more serious, "at least he...loves you in return."

"Oh, it's not the same as it was with...her," she said quietly, her eyes full of concern. She knew what that tone meant.

He shook his head. "Perhaps."

"I just don't love him...like that," she said with a little tinge of a tremor in her voice, "He needs a different sort of love, I'm too much like his family now."

_Now that he's over her death, he should find someone real. I'm just around more, it's natural for him to latch onto me._

"We haven't even been dating!" Tifa said, throwing her arms into the arm with dramatic flare, "Then he just asks me to _marry_ him?"

"I did not know that detail..." Vincent said, a little confused, "That does change things."

_You haven't visited New Midgar for a year now...things can change. Then, I suppose time is different for you._

Then he started laughing. "I understand him now," he said cryptically.

_I guess its some sort of guy thing I'll never understand..._

"I'd like to go back now," she said, "I think I'm ready for a little fun now..." She winked at him, and he pretended to be shocked.

"This is why I'm always armed..." he said jokingly, "I'm such a ladies magnet..."

"Not like THAT!" she shrieked, giving him a light punch on the arm. He threw his arms up in defeat.

_Later..._

"You ok?" Barret asked her for the fifth time since she walked back in the door. And for the third time now, she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not in love with him anymore. Of course I'm fine," she replied, leaning back in her chair. She had been playing cards with Cid, Yuffie, and him earlier, but after losing Spades for the fourth time, Cid left. Card playing wasn't as fun after that...

"Drinking contest?" Yuffie said to Barrett, with a mischievous look in her eye.

"NO!!!" Barrett and Tifa said in unison. Yuffie scowled.

"We HAVE to do something," she whined, "I'm BORED."

"How about playing 'see how long Yuffie can go without talking'?" Nanaki said with a flick of his tail. Yuffie appeared to ponder that for a moment, then pounced on him.

"Ouch!" he said, feigning injury, "You're a little bigger than you used to be..."

"How about a version of an 'Exquisite Corpse'?" Vincent piped up, from somewhere on the other side of the room. Everybody stared. Even if he was fairly amiable now, he still didn't talk much in large groups.

"That's not some kind of strange vampire thing, is it?" Yuffie asked, making a disgusted face. Vincent laughed at her choice of phrase.

"No, it's a poem created by a group of people," he said, gesturing as he spoke, "Each person writes a line on a piece of paper without any knowledge of the previous line."

Yuffie nodded thoughtfully...as thoughtfully as she could manage.

"The version I like best actually creates a story and you can look at what is before it for more continuity..." he said, tracing an arc in the air with his hand, "and is quite entertaining."

The room was silent for awhile, when Cid suddenly jumped up. "Sounds damn fancy pansty," he said, "but I think it could work! I know what I'd like to write already..." Shera gave him a skeptical look at this statement.

"So who wants to begin?" Cloud spoke up with mock cheerfulness.

"I will!" Yuffie volunteered, jumping up and down.

_Later still..._

"Alright, it's all composed now," Vincent said, grinning madly while holding the sheet of paper in his hand.

_He can be so silly sometimes..._

"I'll read it," Tifa offered, stepping up to Vincent. He handed her the paper and sat back down.

She began:

"'Once upon a time there was a brilliant thief named Siggy. He liked his work more than anything in the world. One day he decided it was time to leave the boring town and make a name for himself in a neighboring kingdom...'"

"Geez, get to the good part already!" Cid interrupted, but quickly quieted with a look from Shera. ," he then said glancing at his wife nervously.

"Ok. 'He looked onto the road before him. It was nightfall, and it was getting cold. Not a soul was in sight. Then, it sprung from the bushes, ready to attack!'"

"Not bad, Barrett," Nanaki said approvingly.

"To continue. 'The white rabbit looked at him innocently. He bent down to pick it up. It was to be his new friend, and traveling companion. But before they could start off...'"

Barrett smiled at his daughter.

"'It lunged at his neck! Its fangs were huge and yellow, and dripped with green poison! "Ack! Damn bunny!" he shouted, trying in vain to fend it off. When it looked like he lost hope...'"

"Meanie!" Marlene scolded Cid. He only laughed in response.

"Right Cid. Anyhow. 'A cunning priestess blasted the horrible beast from him with a carefully chosen summon. She walked up to the now exhausted thief and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Petunia," she said. They decided to travel together. They soon found...'"

"Petunia??" Cid nearly choked at the name. Cloud shrugged his shoulders, "It was my Aunt's name, it's the first I could think of."

"'An inn to rest for the night. It had rained earlier so they were quite soggy. They let their clothes dry on the hearth, while Petunia slept on the bed, and Siggy on the floor. Much to their chagrin, however they woke to find...'"

Everyone looked up at Tifa expectantly. _You're a genius, Vincent. They're hooked._

"'Everything except their underclothes hand been stolen! Petunia screeched at the insolent thief to look away, but he was an adolescent, so he kept sneaking peeks. They set off to find the thieves, even as scantily clad as they were.' You're awful, Nanaki"

He grinned, pleased with himself.

"'Petunia first blindfolded the young man, and then tied him to a chair for good measure. Then she found the thieves' hideaway, and gave them all good bops on the heads. When they were all defeated, they decided to make her their leader, and gave her some nicer clothes than before. Meanwhile...'"

Vincent burst out laughing at this. He knew Tifa would write something like that.

"Don't laugh. He deserved it, little perv. 'Siggy freed himself of his bonds, but realized he still had nothing. After a day of this, he figured out Petunia had left for good. He soon became the local tavern's dishwasher and dreamed of days when he actually was a thief and didn't know any treacherous women. The End.'"

"And the moral is?" Vincent said, eyebrows raised.

"Beware killer rabbits and angry women!" Yuffie shouted, dissolving into a fit of giggles. Tifa and the others soon joined her.

_How I missed times like these...everyone is so happy..._

Well, not everyone. Cloud was sitting in the corner, his mouth in a stiff horizontal line.

_I suppose I should talk with him..._

She sauntered over to his side. No one noticed her move, their eyes were still teary.

"You want to talk?" she said, eyes full of worry. He nodded, rising from his seat.

The only one to notice them leave the house was Vincent, and he knew better than to follow.

_Even Later..._

"Are you in love with him, that John guy, then?" Cloud said, the lighting giving his eyes a peculiar green quality. Tifa sighed. He had been interrogating her like this for nearly half an hour.

"Again, no," she replied, slightly irritated, "Can't you accept that it's not someone else?"

"What about Vincent?" he said, eyeing her cautiously, as if waiting for an unspoken reaction.

_I thought we went through this already..._

"We've already had that conversation. No." she stated with an emotionless tone. He still gave her the same suspicious look.

"Then why did you come here with him?" he asked.

_Because he bothered to offer._

"He showed up at my place, and stayed there," she said, staring straight into Cloud's face, "It makes logical sense since we were coming from the _same place_."

"How come I feel like you've been hiding something?" he said, the accusation falling out of his voice, "I know it has to do with him. You look at each other like your co-conspirators or something."

_It's not what you think...I wish it were that simple._

"I'll tell you when this has blown over," she replied, straining at each word, "When you've gotten over our little fiasco. It's not what you think, believe me."

_It's much much worse._

* * *

Note: Hahaha! This is so fun! Hope you liked the little game they played, it's pointless really, but it was fun to make.


	7. Chapter 6 The Fiber of Being

A/N: Due to the active nature of this chapter, and the fact they are separated, you will get to see some of what's going on with Tifa...you just won't see her thoughts, only Vincent's.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – The Fiber of Being**

* * *

_**I told you so**_

_She's still herself, it's just a fluke. She's been under stress._

_**Then suit your own denial. It's what your best at.**_

Vincent was alone in the hollow tube of a room. The silence suited him, if it were not for Chaos's naggings; he might be inclined to relax.

_Still...cursing? At Elena? She's just a child, naïve and stubborn. _

Vincent had secretly admired Elena's tenacity; it reminded him of his younger self at times. He saw the Turk as a mentor would see her.

_She's not acting right either...what is it with women?_

He lightly chuckled at his private joke. The musings could go on for days...

Unfortunately, they didn't.

CRASH!!!

It rang loud in his ears...too loud. He reached for his gun...but it was not in its holster.

_Almost forgot, damn punk. He deserves a sound beating._

He looked around. Something had changed...something was different about the room.

_A door._

It nearly blended in with the rest of the walls, and the handle was only a vertical slit of an indent, so subtle and masterfully camouflaged.

_Was this here the whole time...?_

Although his mind questioned it, his body went for it; grasping the edge of the indent with his claw...and pulling the door open with full force.

He tried to stifle the scream that rose from his throat.

_No. Not that._

_Elsewhere..._

"No," Tifa breathed out, barely letting the word rise from her lips. She looked as if death had given her a kiss goodnight.

The figure loomed ahead of her, staring intently into her wide frightened eyes...and grinned.

"Hello, Tifa," he said, the sinister curl of his lip spitting out the words.

"Hello..." she said, her eyes never leaving the face, afraid to look away, "...Sephiroth."

The curl disappeared, and he held up his sword, so light a thing in his hands, and began to move past her.

She began to breathe again. And dared turn her head.

He was standing in front of Reno now, staring down at the Turk, sword clasped between both hands, with the blade inches in front of Reno's face.

Reno stared back, a superficially rebellious stare.

Elena's hands were trembling at her sides...a look of Tseng with etched in her face. Tifa wanted to go to her, but her legs would not obey her mind.

"The gun, Turk," the powerful voice rumbled. Reno gave a quick flash of submission with his eyes, and slowly his hands began to obey his will. One pale hand lifted the Death Penalty towards the General, as his large hand accepted the weapon. His glowing eyes lingered on the metal of the gun for an instant, and then flashed a warning to the unarmed man.

"Tifa," he said, still staring at Reno. The Turk's resolve would not last for much longer, he looked like he would launch at the tall man at any moment. She reluctantly moved towards the figure as if under a spell of sluggishness. She could not take her eyes off of him, out of fear or something more horrifying.

"Take this to him," he said, still looking away from her, the gun held out to his side. Her body did not question the action, and gingerly accepted the weapon in her shaky hands.

For a flash of an instant, he turned to her, "Follow the scream."

With that, she awakened and fled from the room.

_In the strange room..._

_Did I just scream?_

He did not want to acknowledge the man standing in front of him. He did not want to process what his eyes were seeing.

"Hojo," he said, as if uttering a curse to destroy the world. The hunched figure grinned.

"Only a little," he replied, shifted his weight and leaning a little more forward, "Only in appearance."

_Then what the hell are you?_

"I'm the visual manifestation of your darkest feelings," he sneered, the odd lighting of the room producing a glare on his glasses that obscured his eyes, "I am not a part of you, like your demons...but I can hear your thoughts."

_How convenient._

"You can call me Obsession," he said, sneering out the last word, "I've been watching you for quite some time now."

"Then what are you doing here? Where am I? What happened to me?" Vincent sprayed the line of questions into the air, with the erratic precision of a graffiti artist.

_How long have you been watching me?_

"I'll answer the last question..." Obsession whispered obscenely, "for the others are far too dull..."

Vincent leaned in closer, like a schoolboy learning a dirty word.

"Since _she_ came along," he rasped out, smiling at Vincent's horrified expression.

_Lucrecia. How many more ills will I suffer on your behalf?_

"I'm afraid that if you don't act," Obsession grunted, "I will have to hand you over to my brother..."

_Brother? What a family..._

"Of course," Obsession mused, "He is already detained with a lovely piece of flesh. I think you know her..." His smile only lifted one side of his mouth, and he looked mid spasm.

"Vincent!" a thin female voice shrieked somewhere behind him.

_Tifa._

Obsession evaporated in the air, his glasses disappearing last. Vincent cursed under his breath.

"What happened?" Tifa said, shakily clutching the Death Penalty to her chest. He reached his hand out to accept the weapon.

"Thank you..." he said hesitantly, ignoring her question, "Are they...hurt?" He was gently grabbing her hand so that her raw knuckles were in plain view.

_She didn't...cringe._

She staring at her own hand, puzzled by the contact. "N-not much anymore," she said, clearly distracted. His eyes began to focus beyond her, just past her shoulder.

"Hello Sephiroth," he said calmly, still holding Tifa's bloodied hand. She nearly jumped at the mention of the name.

_Hello my obsession's son._

"Are you another specter?" he asked, letting his eyes glance at the still frozen Tifa.

"No," the powerful voice uttered, "I am flesh...unfortunately."

"Then this is not your original body," Vincent said, as Tifa shot him a surprised look. He finally let go of her hand, and she detracted it slowly, pulling it down in a fist at her side. Sephiroth watched them with a feline curiosity.

"No, it is not," he answered, "It is wrought of a newly dead corpse." Tifa's face crinkled at the mention of this, and her pallor grew paler.

_You have left something unfinished. I only hope that Lucrecia got to you in time..._

"W-what do you want?" Tifa said in a small voice, refusing to turn and look at the madman.

"Something more satisfying than revenge," he said with an even and cryptic tone. With that phrase she turned to him staring at his glowing eyes.

"Much more satisfying," he said more insistently, staring at Vincent with an unreadable expression.

_Maybe we can find it..._

Tifa could only look at his upper half, her eyes not wanting to see blood on the Masamune.

* * *

I couldn't help bringing Sephy back...but I'm going to say this already...there will be no Tifa/Sephiroth or Vincent/Sephiroth! I just can't write that...so sorry for you fans of all that. Hope you enjoy the action and introduction of a "character". Any feedback is always welcome! 


	8. Chapter 7 Stealing and Other Larceny

A/N: Ok, thank you for your reviews. I'll try to follow them, and after this chapter, I'm going to go back and edit stuff. Also, the "description is nice" suggestion will be taken to heart. Thanks again!

C. R. Carter: Hooked? Well, that's good. Hope I don't dissappoint you. Hope you can see some of the Vincent changes...

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Stealing and Other Larceny **

* * *

The sun was beginning to peak over the edge of a hill, the spikes of its light slicing through the air suddenly, causing Vincent to shield his eyes for a moment. He was sitting on the roof of Tifa's house, unbeknownst to her, thinking about the events of last night.

_She turned him down. Fancy that._

His cape hung lazily from her wind vane, occasionally picking up the slightest of breezes, rustling in a nearly inaudible manner. One knee was bent, and he propped his claw arm on it, in a casual and natural fashion. A passerby would think he had the look of a laborer on a lunch break, enjoying the last possible moments before the strain of the latter half of his day had come.

_I should have known...she is so...obvious sometimes._

He had no natural intent on leaving his perch, but he could hear the shuffling of activity in the house below him. He tensed for a minute, and then leaned forward to peer over the edge of the roof. A brown head was bobbing near the eave, oblivious to his presence. He shifted his weight slightly, an idea passing through his mind, causing his face to burn with a hidden mischief.

_This is too easy..._

He tensed up, pulling his frame into a crouching position, his muscles compressed springs, ready to be released. A wry smile graced his face, and his eyes followed the movements below, waiting for the opportune moment.

"I know you're up there," she said with an all knowing air, her large burgundy eyes staring at him now, "You can come down, too. Breakfast is almost ready."

He shook his head in defeat, pulling himself to a precarious standing position. Tifa was giving him a disciplinarian look, and he pretended to be shocked by it, holding his hands out defensively. Then, with a quick movement, he snatched up his cape and sailed down the ground below, landing with a light thud as steel boots met earth.

_I'm losing my touch. Age must be catching up with me...somewhat._

Tifa rolled her eyes, "Showoff," she teased, and turned to go inside. Vincent followed shortly, after taking one last look at the brightening landscape.

_I hope Cid's plan works...it would be a shame to ruin such a lovely day for her..._

_After breakfast_

Tifa was washing the remaining dishes, handing the rinsed plates to Vincent to dry. He gingerly handled her china, swiping the cotton towel over them with deft precision. They worked in silent cooperation, as the breakfast had been. Vincent had learned long ago that Tifa didn't always need to talk, and this time was no exception.

_Still...I should ask her about what she's going to tell Cloud...she can't keep it hidden forever._

Vincent turned to her, ceasing his drying, and gave her an eyebrow raised quizzical look.

"What?" she asked, not out of real question, though, she knew what he meant. She dried her hands off, and left a few utensils to soak in the sink. With her back to the sink, she leaned against, the counter, as if waiting for Vincent's inevitable questioning.

"When are you going to tell Cloud?" he said, a little too quickly. Tifa seemed a bit taken aback, and shook her head nervously.

"When he decides to stop his infatuation with me," she replied curtly straightening up from the counter so that she seemed taller. Vincent frowned.

_I can imagine you'd be a hard person to get over._

_**Like Lucrecia?**_

_No, not quite like that..._

"That could take forever..." he said, waiting for Tifa's reaction. She pursed her lips and knitted her eyebrows. The right corner of his mouth tugged up, letting her know he was kidding. Her face relaxed.

"You're awful...you know that?" she said, smiling at him, clearly tickled by the hidden compliment.

_You can even catch that subtlety? Impressive..._

Vincent opened his mouth to say something, but before he could blurt it out, there was a knock on the door.

_Cid. Perfect timing, as always._

Tifa skipped over to the door, and was greeted by Cid's gruff face.

"Hey Tifa," he said, removing the ever present cigarette from his mouth. He tapped it lightly with his index finger, letting a small trail of ash drift to her doorstep. Her eyes followed it, frowning lightly. Then she saw Nanaki down there and smiled.

"Hello, Tifa," he said, and then peered a little behind her, "...Vincent." Vincent simply nodded back.

_I think he understands my hello by now. He's perhaps the most intuitive, next to Tifa._

"Hi, guys," she finally said, grinning widely, "What brings you to these parts?" Cid looked over at Vincent and winked, while Nanaki's face held a bit of mischief. Tifa looked Cid and Nanaki over, a puzzled look on her face.

"We're kidnapping you," Cid finally said, taking a drag from his cigarette. Tifa's eye went wide, while Vincent chuckled behind her.

"You were in on this, too?" she said, a mock look of shock on her face. Vincent nodded, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

"C'mon guys," Cid said, putting his arms on Tifa's shoulders, "We'd better make this robbery damn quick." Her eyes grew wide when she felt Vincent's claw and hand on her ankles. He was blushing slightly, something which only Nanaki could see.

_Why the miniskirts? This puts me in a compromising position...why did I get the feet?_

With a silent signal from Cid, Vincent lifted her feet out from under her, while Cid steadied her upper half. She screeched a little at them, as Nanaki approached with a piece of cloth between his teeth.

"Ah, the blindfold," Vincent said, shifting a little. Cid changed his hold so that he could accept it from the partner in crime. He dangled it in front of Tifa's face. "Can you put this on?" he said with a smirk. She complied reluctantly, tying it loosely across her eyes.

_Later..._

They were at their destination. Tifa, in a show of drama, had also been loosely tied up...with her permission of course. They had put her in the back seat of Cid's new Rover, a vehicle that defied the modern engineering world's explanations. Cid and Vincent went to lift her out now, and set her so that she was standing. Cid fumbled with the ropes around her wrists, while Vincent took care of the ankles, deliberately keeping his head down.

Then Vincent stood up and carefully removed the blindfold. Tifa kept her eyes shut for a moment longer, as if afraid of what she might see. She first pried her left eye open ever so slightly...then both eyes popped open, a gasp escaping her lips.

"Happy Birthday!" the three captors exclaimed, each in their own distinct voices, creating an odd euphony. Tifa's eyes were tearing up, glazing her vision.

"You didn't..." she said finally, gazing up at the sign above the entrance of a newly renovated building. It said:

_Tifa Lockheart Children's Home_

She couldn't hold the tears back any longer, and they streamed from her eyes suddenly, as she sobbed lightly. Cid looked extremely pleased with himself, smiling broadly while he let out a puff of smoke. Vincent and Nanaki exchanged a knowing glance.

_It did work. Hope she doesn't mind that it's a little early._

"...Vincent..." she said, still gawking at the building before her, "...you remembered..."

Cid decided that he had enough of standing around and enveloped her in a big hug, nearly throwing her off balance. "Want to go inside?" he said, offering her his hand. She nodded, and he led her through the arched doorway, glancing back at Vincent and Nanaki before disappearing into the shadowed interior.

_It's a pity a woman like that can't have children of her own._

He looked over at Nanaki, who was staring back at him questioningly. "'You remembered'?" he asked, his tail flicking away a fly behind him. Vincent shrugged a little before replying.

"An old conversation," he said, "She felt sorry for the children who lost their parents when Meteor hit."

With that, Nanaki nodded and began his prowl towards the building.

_I just hope Yuffie hasn't turned the place a shambles yet._

CRASH!! "Dammit!" a distinctly clear and familiar voice faintly echoed from the building's interior.

_Too late._

* * *

Hope this isn't too fluffy, I just thought that it would be a nice situation to put later things in. I like the idea of Nanaki, Cid and Vincent being in on something together, and this is what it turned into...


	9. Chapter 8 Escape from the Mind

A/N: This is a little longer than my other chapters. Hope you enjoy the conflict. I just hope the plot is progressing at a good pace. After this chapter, I'm going to look at some previous and clean them up and flesh them out a bit.

C.R. Carter: Your comments are lovely. Makes me feel better about my uncertainty with writing...glad you like my Cid, he holds a special place in my heart, as I am an engineering major. :)

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Escape from the Mind**

* * *

_**I will soon see you, my lovely Tifa**_

_Who are you? _

_**Closer than you think**_

She dared not move, for the hypnotic presence of her old enemy commanded her to stay, despite the protests of her hidden will. The room held a kind of stalemate, like the pieces on the chessboard ceased their maneuvering when the player's mind contemplated their next move.

_Cloud...Vincent...Barrett...anybody? Make this nightmare stop..._

She wanted to run. She wanted to hide behind Vincent like a child. She almost hoped Cloud would show up and save her, like he always did in her dreams.

But this was far more entangled than a dream.

"Tifa," the harsh voice of the man before her spoke, like a commander to his troops, "Have you seen him, yet?" Tifa just stared back, her expression empty.

_I do not even know if I am here..._

_**You are not.**_

She grimaced slightly, feeling her mind slip away was not the best idea in this situation. Of course, the proper action in this situation was hard to fathom anyway. The crossed her arms, hoping to hold herself together, waiting for something, either death or aid, as her thoughts seemed only to present two options. Then, she found her voice.

"...No," she rasped out, feeling as if her vocal chords hadn't been used for years, "Why...Sephiroth?" She stared at the haunting image before her; he was death's messenger...

_He has come to take me away, take me away from a world that no longer needs me._

Her mouth was bitter and dry, and tasted like foul wine.

"Are we here for a purpose?" Vincent's voice sliced through the air, and Sephiroth turned to stare at him, almost as if he had forgotten the man's presence. The general lifted his Masamune, and let his eyes travel the blade, caressing its gentle curve with his gaze.

"You have met Obsession, have you not?" he said, continuing his appraisal of his weapon. Vincent raised an eyebrow; the rest of his face remained expressionless.

"You know I have," his countenance almost stern, and his tone nearly impatient.

"Lucrecia is gone now," Sephiroth said, finally looking up from his blade, waiting for Vincent's reaction. Then shrouded man simply lowered his eyes.

"So you found her?" he said, a prodding, slow kind of voice. Sephiroth studied him, a cold faced appraisal, concealing any thoughts he had of the half demon.

_They are sometimes so alike...chilling._

Tifa nearly jumped at her own thoughts, and decided to stare at the floor. Sephiroth let his gaze turn to her, bringing the curl back to his lip. "She found me," he said, relishing the heightened tension in the room, "How else would I have survived?"

"A mother's love is a terrible thing sometimes," Vincent spoke, quietly and bitterly, a resurfacing anger passing across his face. The effect with short, however, and his icy stare soon covered the sudden flush of emotion.

Sephiroth almost smiled at this, but resolved to smirk instead. "We don't have time for this," he said finally, his words clipped and precise. Tifa's head jerked up from the floor, only to see that Sephiroth was looking at her, not Vincent.

_Get to the point; I've had enough of this._

Suddenly, she felt bolder. It was _Sephiroth_, but they had "killed" him, hadn't they?

"Yes, just tell us want you want with us," she said, returning Sephiroth's stare with an icy one of her own.

"Your darkest fears," he said, taking a large commanding step towards her, "Your deepest sins," he looked at Vincent with that, "And my greatest failures."

_What?_

_**He's found us out, my dear.**_

Tifa shook her head, looking at the floor again. The imposing boots of the inhuman creature were no more than two feet from her.

"Have you ever heard voices, Tifa?" Sephiroth asked, leaning in closer, making her feel cornered, his eerily green eyes piercing through her own. Yet, her boldness was rising in her chest, spreading like fire through her limbs.

_I could fight you. Right now._

"Yes," she said, immediately wishing she had not revealed that, for the look on Sephiroth's face was too pleasant to be anything good. He looked utterly pleased with himself; the twisted form of his smile was too familiar...

"Tifa!" she heard Vincent shout, but she felt strange, her legs were giving out, and she didn't know why...

She heard Sephiroth laugh, and everything was blue...brilliant blue. Then she ceased to exist in the room, something was...

_Not right, this is not right. Where did they go? Where am I?_

"With me."

The voice had a haunting familiarity, a husky masculine edge that neither man she had been with previously possessed. It lacked the commanding superiority of Sephiroth's, and the melodic intonation of Vincent's. It was a voice she could die to.

"Show yourself," she said, intending to sound commanding, but ending up sounding lost. She could not feel as physical form, only the aches of her mind, which seemed to stretch out like limbs. All she had was this strange sight, a world of brilliant blue, and she knew that it was not her eyes that beheld it.

If she had eyes, she would not she what appeared from the blue. If she had eyes, they would have been wet and pouring over her cheeks.

It was Cloud. As sure as she was Tifa, it was Cloud.

"Cloud?" she asked, with the unreal vocal chords this trance afforded her, "Is that really you?"

"If it will let me keep you, I am," he replied, an oddly hungry expression in his eyes.

She didn't know how to answer that, so she just asked another question. "Who are you then?"

"You may call me Surrender, dear," he replied lazily blinking once, "I have been needing you for quite some time."

_Needing?_

"Yes," he replied, an answer that puzzled her further. "You can read my thoughts?" she asked, wishing she could feel her face to further her expression.

_**I AM your thoughts and yet not your thoughts.**_

How had she not recognized the voice before? Did it sound that different in her own head?

_But why appear as Cloud?_

_**Why not? He lingers in your thoughts.**_

_Why any of this at all?_

_**Because I need you, don't you need me?**_

_No! I don't even know what you are! How can I need you?_

_**Even you cannot resist me. You are so close.**_

_Leave me alone!_

_**In time, you will come to see me differently. I have much planned for you.**_

_Please, just leave me alone..._

He slowly faded back into the blue from which he came, smiling at her with Cloud's smile, making her want to retch. The blue was fading, the brilliance seeping into itself, revealing strange patches of white...

Clouds. Large white cumulus clouds, foretelling fair weather.

She was in the real world; she could feel it in her toes and in her fingers, struggling through her veins. She was staring straight into a beautiful sky, on a day she would be glad to go adventuring on.

But this was not an adventure anymore. It was a nightmare.

She rolled up into a sitting position slowly, looking around to ascertain her position. The moss covered statue she had been looking for was in front of her. The stone girl was smiling, and she almost felt, mocking her. Her pack was lying haphazardly at its base, slumped over like a dead man.

_Where is Vincent? And...Sephiroth?_

She took her eyes off the statue, and looked around the clearing. Two forms were splayed out on the ground, eerily still. One was crimson, while the other was a mass of silver. She quickly attempted to find her legs, and when she could confidently steady herself, walked slowly over to the crimson heap.

She could not tell if he was breathing.

Panicking, she quickly knelt down, almost causing a dizzy spell. When she found her head again, she inspected Vincent's still form.

_I can't tell if he's alive or not with this damn cape on._

She then decided to break an unspoken taboo, and began to fiddle with the clasps that held his cape on, her fingers trembling, making the task more difficult.

_Calm down. You're just making sure he's alive. He won't mind too much later._

Once the straps were free, she flung the edges of the cape aside, and made for the scarf around his neck and lower face. She put her head on his chest, listening for a sign of life. His heartbeat was there, but faint, and it seems to but getting slower, like a clock winding down. This worried her, so she put her ear up next to his mouth.

_He's not breathing. Oh gods._

She hesitated. This would be a very strange way for him to wake up, and it would look very awkward.

_Quit being such a prude, he might die. You can't just let him die._

She lower her face close to his, feeling her face growing a burning red. But duty was winning over embarrassment, and she made contact, ready to force air into his lungs.

Then his eyes popped open.

Startled, she jumped back, looking like a radish, trying to hide her face with her hands. He laid there an uncomfortable expression on his fully exposed face.

_Oh gods..._

"I-I...y-you weren't b-breathing," she stammered out, still trying to hide her face. He slightly smirked, then let the expression fade into a tight lipped scowl.

_So he does have facial expression...maybe that's why he wears the cape..._

"Sephiroth," he said, still laying down, but folding his hands on his stomach. She turned a deeper red.

_He'd better be breathing..._

Without a word she got up, and hobbled over to the silver form, almost collapsing on him as her head spun.

Kneeling over him, she saw his green eyes staring back at her.

_Thank gods..._

He was different from inside the building. He had the same face, the same hair, but his clothes were definitely changed. They were all silver now, and the imposing metal enforced long coat was replaced with a high collared monk's coat, complete with spiked toggle buttons. He was still imposing...just changed. Tifa suddenly realized she had been staring, and that he was watching her the whole time. Suddenly uneasy, she looked away.

"So we've escaped the Gyre Trap," he said, his eyes still fixed straight up at her, "Now we can have a bit more control over the situation."

_Gyre Trap?_

"What did you DO!" she suddenly shouted, like pressure escaping a valve. Her memory of his laughter was still fresh in her mind. Sephiroth just gave her that lip curling sneer, and began to sit up.

"I got us out of there," he said, matter-of-factly, "You should be thanking me." She responded only with a glare, turning her attention back to Vincent. He was standing, and fully in control of his balance.

_I wonder why he recovered so quickly._

"Did you know anything about this?" she asked him, her voice full of accusation. He shook his head, and made his way over to meet her and Sephiroth.

"A Gyre Trap is very ancient," Sephiroth said, ignoring Tifa and Vincent's previous exchange, "It holds the mind, and leaves the body to wither outside it. It lures people in with illusions."

"So the Turks were illusions?" Vincent asked, ignoring Tifa's glares.

"Correct," Sephiroth responded, a smug look now gracing his face, "They were twisted from your perceptions of them."

_Then why did Elena make me so annoyed? She never used to..._

"The most interesting part of a Gyre Trap is that it affects women...differently," he continued, eying Tifa as he said this, "It puts them in a heightened emotional state."

_Oh, PMS. I get it._

"So what does this have to do with us?" Tifa asked impatiently, tired of Sephiroth's know-it-all tone. He smirked, almost like he enjoyed toying with her. Vincent scowled at this expression.

"The three of us are connected..." Sephiroth replied, "I just don't quite know how yet."

_I should have never left the Highwind. Dammit Aeris, why did I have to agree to your request?_


	10. Chapter 9 The Good, the Bad, and the Fun...

A/N: You'll be able to see the "bad guy" soon enough...not in this chapter, though (hehe). If you think Cloud's been acting like a jerk, you'll soon find out why. Also, I'd like to extend a thanks to all my reviewers...I have one for each chapter now! I have some exams this week, so if it takes me longer to get stuff out...that's why. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 9 - The Good, the Bad, and the Funny**

* * *

_They named it after me. Why me?_

Tifa was still in shock even after wandering the halls of the Children's Home, inspecting every inch of the place. The plans were all set...she was to live here, and become the "headmistress", overseeing the lives of abandoned children...

_Finally...it's good to do something worthwhile again._

As for the bar, it was still in her possession. She still took in a percentage of its earnings, enough for her to live off of. The actual funding of the home was provided by the leftovers from Shinra Weapons Inc, which Reeve slyly allocated, and from modest contributions from the remaining AVALANCHE members.

It was almost _too_ perfect. Tifa couldn't help but feel uneasy. Life as a happy ending didn't sit well in her stomach.

She still had to get moving, happy ending or not.

_Hmm...and my birthday isn't for a week either..._

With that, she headed towards the common room, where the rest of her comrades were waiting.

_Not too much later..._

"You know, I never asked you guys where exactly we are," Tifa asked Nanaki, who was sitting comfortably on a couch in the common room. He, the main conspirators, and Cloud were the only ones left besides her. Barrett had left with Marlene earlier, and Yuffie had run off unexpectedly... Tifa found the mess that the ninja left much later.

"The outskirts of New Midgar...where else?" he answered, twitching his tail playfully. Tifa laughed, "Oh, the way you guys were driving, I thought I was in Wutai!"

Nanaki gave her his sneaky grin. Obviously he and the others had been planning this for awhile. "So who will accompany you in the 'roundups'?" he said, while Tifa crinkled her nose at his terminology.

"Vincent and Cloud offered to help me," she said, avoiding his wording, "We'll be _searching_ the old slums first, as those children probably have had it the worst." She looked off for a second, knowing full well what "worst" could mean. Her time in the slums was not one of her fondest memories.

Nanaki chose to ignore her private interlude, and instead looked over at Cloud, who was sitting in a chair, staring, while Vincent and Cid joked around. Tifa noticed his distraction and turned to face the men also, observing the odd scene before her.

_It's amazing how we've all changed...especially Cloud and Vincent...Of course, I'm probably to blame for Cloud's bit._

She frowned. No matter how determined she was to stay out of Cloud's affairs, she couldn't help but get right in the middle of them. If it wasn't love...it was guilt. If it wasn't friendship...it was obligation. She was endlessly swinging between extremes.

_Then there was what Surrender said...I couldn't look at Cloud the same after that..._

She snapped back into the present. There was no use dwelling on the past, she might end up like Cloud.

She preferred to think about the other two, who seemed to be in a battle royale of wits.

"No no no," Cid was saying, gesturing erratically, "You can't just walk into a damn bar like some goddamn cowboy! Ya gotta have class, ya gotta have style."

"Yes," Vincent replied, leaning in closer, "but in my day, the cowboys were gentlemen. You were still toddling around in diapers back then."

"I'll show you diapers! You goddamn old prick!" was Cid's retort. Vincent almost chuckled, the look on Cid's face was priceless.

_When did Cid teach him about humor? Maybe he had it all along...I can still remember when he called him "chief" the first time..._

Tifa was smiling, and Nanaki was glad to see the change in her face. He had been observing a series of unpleasant thoughts shift across her expression...she was never very good at hiding her feelings, unless she was trying desperately to help someone. She still hadn't noticed Nanaki's silent appraisals, and in all reality, she wasn't in the mood to care. The day had been a good one.

"You sound like two old ladies," Tifa said, interrupting Cid's attempt at a comeback. His mouth was open like a fish, and she almost burst out laughing. He quickly closed it when he saw her attempts to stifle her laughter.

"Yes," Vincent replied, quickly and succinctly, "I know Cid's a real looker, but _I_ would make a very awkward woman." Cid was turning beet red, and no logical words, or curses could escape his lips. Only a string of inane babble.

That's when Tifa lost it.

_Get out of my head! I've already seen Cloud in a dress, I don't need to visualize Cid too!_

Vincent raised an eyebrow at the scene. Despite his new ability to be friendly, he still had amazing control over his face when the mood suited him. Somehow his lack of expression only made Tifa's laughing fit continue longer. By now, Cid had begun to calm down, but instead of babble, he resorted to silence.

"Since when did YOU become Mr. Social?" Cloud said, eying Vincent with a very hostile air. Vincent's expression remained unchanged.

"Maybe you should be asking yourself the same question, Mr. Strife," he replied, in the most polite tone possible. Cloud scoffed.

"Well, no wonder," he said, he voice suddenly icy, "With her hanging off you every second, you could suddenly find _something_ to smile about." Then he rose from his seat.

_No, it's not like that. Cloud, stop being stupid._

"Cloud, you know it's not like that," Vincent replied, slowly rising from his seat. Cid was watching the whole scene with an oddly calm expression, while Nanaki observed the same as ever.

"Don't say something you'll regret," Vincent said, walking slowly towards Cloud, his voice soft and even. Cloud scowled at him.

"I don't need your pity," he said throwing his arms out as if to create some invisible barrier, "I KNOW what went on between you two that year you were gone. Don't think I was fooled." With that, he stormed out of the room. Vincent stood still for a few moments, then started walking to go after him. Before he could cross the room, however, Tifa intercepted him.

"I'll take care of this," she said, holding him still as she gripped his upper arm. His face softened. "Are you sure?" he asked, backing away a little out of her hold.

_Why does he suddenly retract from my touch?_

"Yes," she replied, smiling a little, "I know how to handle Cloud better than anyone." With that, he warily sat back down next to Cid. "I hope so," he replied and turned away. She ran out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest.

_I hope he doesn't hate me after this._

_Soon afterwards..._

She had finally caught up with him. They were in some kind of field, the lights of the few buildings in the outskirts looked like lanterns in the night. It was overcast, and the moon was a hazy blob in the sky, giving the landscape an eerie feel. Tifa shivered.

"Cloud!" she shouted, taking the last few strides to catch up to his side, "Cloud. Can we talk?" He stared at her, no expression on his face.

"I'll tell you about...everything," she said, her voice falling to a near whisper with the last word. He raised his eyebrow. "Everything?" he said, "So there is something going on..." He started to walk away. She grabbed his arm hard, and shook him a little.

"I'm going to tell you the truth!" she nearly screamed, her composure all but lost.

_Calm down. Calm down...you have to tell him. So just calm down._

He stopped, facing her with a concerned expression, "Tifa...I'm sorry," he said suddenly, throwing her off guard.

"Just let me speak first," she said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, "Then you can apologize if you still wish." He relaxed, crossing his arms over his chest. His expression was oddly affectionate, and she had to turn so she couldn't see his face.

_I won't be able to speak if you look at me like that. Well, here goes nothing..._

"First of all, there is nothing going on between Vincent and I in the... romantic sense," she took a deep breath, "We were caught in a bad situation that year...we're still trying to sort out exactly what was going on. We almost got ourselves killed. Luckily someone was there to save us," She paused, her heart racing, her hands trembling.

_Please don't hate me..._

"His name was...Sephiroth." His face hardened. She could see him tightening his fists, the knuckles growing white, the veins bulging near his wrists. She could feel tears coming to her eyes...

_You have to understand...there is a greater danger...I don't even know if we destroyed it..._

Then his expression was calm, almost calculating. "I do not wish to speak with you again," he said in the most polite voice she had ever heard him use, "Please leave now."

She was crying, crying and running. She didn't care.

_I may not love you anymore, but that doesn't mean you have to be so COLD._

She didn't see Vincent as she ran into him head on. At least, who she thought was Vincent.

"Not now..." she said between sobs breaking away from the cloaked figure.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me so easily," he said, his commanding tone easily recognized. She whipped around, facing the man. Wiping the tears out of her eyes, the face, the hair, the clothes...they were unmistakable.

"Sephiroth," she said, wiping her face again with an angry jerk, "What the HELL are you doing here?" He smirked.

"Caught you at a bad time?" he said, the mocking tone of his voice making her want to slap him, "You and Strife have a little...tiff?" He pronounced the last word with extra zeal. She glared at him.

"I don't have time for this..." she began, but he held up his hand to silence her.

"You and Valentine are in grave danger if you stay here," he said, his tone suddenly serious. Her eyes grew wide.

"Is it..." she began and yet again he silenced her.

"We don't have time. We must leave tonight," he reached over and grabbed her upper arm, dragging her towards the Home, "I suggest you pack quickly," he said. So they made their way towards the Home, Tifa taking the lead now, concerned and oblivious to their surroundings.

For if they had lingered longer, they would have heard an unnatural laughter emanate from Cloud Strife, and if they hurried, they might have seen him disappear into thin air.

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I'm a sucker for cliff hangers...don't hurt me. :) 


	11. Chapter 10 Annihilation

A/N: Ok, I took a study break. I don't know when I'll next get a chance to write, so please be patient. I hope this little tidbit is interesting. This is the tip of the iceberg, I actually have a plot worked out on paper (got bored in my philsophy class). It's twisted, and I hope, very original. For a question poised before: no, this is not a sephti. He doesn't strike me as the type to get into a relationship with anyone, without going totally OOC. He's just a badass.

C. R. Carter: I really enjoy your comments...they're so loyal and it's good to get a reaction to each chapter. Do not hesitate to tell me if something seems...cheesy or the like. So now do you see where Vincent got his humor back from? :) You'll being seeing Cid some more in this fic, I just can't leave him out of things!

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**Chapter 10 – Annihilation**

* * *

They were walking now, making their way away from this place, this hidden shrine of the Ancients. Sephiroth had unashamedly taken the lead; Vincent had taken the rear.

_Why am I here anyhow? Why didn't I just stay on the Highwind?_

_**You didn't want another death on your conscience...**_

He shook his head. His morbid thoughts traced their usual patterns in his mind: guilt, death, and regret. They could almost make a piece of anguished poetry, with their own meter rhyme...

'_Vincent, the morose harbinger of unassailable pain and suffering...the demon.'_

_I wonder why I never took up writing..._

He needed a distraction from his own thoughts. In the company of AVALANCHE he could sometimes assuage his sufferings listening to their conversations...each one with their own unique tune...

_Yes, that's why, music...I always loved music. Writing was too...technical._

He allowed himself a private smile. Though his memories before Lucrecia were simple fleeting images and sounds, they were comforting...at least in contrast to the dark interludes of his remaining experience. They reminded him that there was a life before the nightmare, before he fell for the oldest story in the book.

_A woman. Why does it always have to be a woman?_

He gripped his remaining hand. This was not a time for memory; this was a time for action. He had to process some startling news...news he was trying to shut out. He looked hard at the man walking in front of him. His stride was long, even, confident. It was the stride of a general, a perfect soldier, a troubled man. Then there was Tifa, just behind Sephiroth, her stride also long, but it lacked the confident edge. It was somehow unnatural, like it had been shaped into her muscles over much deliberation from some cosmic sculptor.

_Graceful. Like a martial artist should be...they are merely deadly dancers._

With the steady rhythm of their silent walk, he at last let himself think upon the conversation he was engaged in no more than five hours ago...

_Previously..._

"How are you alive?" Tifa asked Sephiroth pointedly, but then cringed a little, almost as if it were an afterthought. He smirked at this remark, pulled himself up from his crouched position to his full height, reveling a little in his formidable position.

"Because of Annihilation," he stated matter-of-factly, ignoring Tifa's puzzled expression. She looked annoyed, and tired. Sephiroth decided his sword was more interesting and decided to inspect it and take a few slashes into the air, carefully avoiding Tifa. She threw up her arms in defeat and went to rummage through her pack, as if she needed something to occupy herself with...or throw at him.

It was then that Vincent strode over, keeping a good distance from Sephiroth's Masamune.

"So you saw..." he said carefully, his face stern, "...Lucrecia?" Sephiroth took one last slash at his invisible opponent before turning to face him. He eyed Vincent questioningly, searching his face for the emotion behind the statement.

"In a manner," he replied curtly, "I did not know the woman well, but she did seem...kindly." He said the last word with some emphasis, hoping to illicit an interesting response from Vincent, who in kind shifted his weight.

"She told me that I needed to live," he said with a far off look, "Because I had failed." Vincent raised an eyebrow to this, much to the amusement of Sephiroth.

"No, I do not wish to take the world for 'mother' any longer..." he stated, not even caring if that was the question that needed answering.

Vincent shifted his gaze away, not sure if he even wanted to talk about Lucrecia anymore. He notice Tifa had taken the container from her pack, and was kneeling near the strange statue, a contemplative look on her face.

_That's strange...I wonder what she's up to._

She then snapped out of her reverie, and wrested the lid off of the container. Then, delicately, she pulled the fragile flower out, setting it in a dark brown patch of earth beneath the stone figure. She patted its roots in lovingly, and stared at it for quite some time.

"Valentine," Sephiroth said, annoyed by the other man's distraction, "Would you like to know more?" He crossed his arms and stood tall, but frowned as he realized the other man was equally as tall, perhaps taller, than he.

Vincent nodded turning his attention back to the impatient man before him.

_You certainly are your father's child._

Sephiroth continued, "She said that I was to find you..._two_," he said, as if they were a burden upon the very essence of his soul, "And save you from almost _imminent_ danger." Vincent frowned into his cape, making sure that Sephiroth did not see the change in expression...he did not want to give the man the satisfaction.

_Your imperial attitude is getting tiresome..._

"Of course," Sephiroth continued, enjoying his chance to dominate the attention, "She isn't Lucrecia...exactly." Vincent's face betrayed his disappointment, however briefly. Sephiroth smirked, "She said to call her...Annihilation."

"Why is that?" Vincent asked, regaining his stony composure.

"Because she is like Obsession..." he said, with a mysterious look on his face, "and Surrender." He nodded towards Tifa as he said this. She was completely oblivious to the conversation, silently kneeling at the feet of the statue, lost in her own thoughts.

"She is my greatest failure," he added almost talking to himself. Vincent heard, but pretended not to notice.

"What...are they?" he asked, carefully, deliberately. Sephiroth grinned.

"Haven't the faintest clue," he said, "definitely not human, or Cetra. Some incorporeal beings that have attached themselves to us for some reason." Vincent just nodded, hoping that soon they would be able to part with this reminder of his past.

_I'll get Tifa back to Cloud and disappear...get away from memory for awhile._

"She told me about the other two..." he said wistfully, "it's hard to believe she's not human. She must have been...interesting in life."

_You have no idea._

Sephiroth snapped out of his thoughts and looked sharply over at Tifa.

"You! Lockheart!" he barked at her, "Stop playing with flowers! We have to move out." She jumped up, glaring at Sephiroth, her fists held tightly next to her thighs.

"I'm going home!" she shouted back at him, "I don't need...this." She stomped over to her pack, swinging it onto her shoulder. She dramatically spun on her heel and started walking in the direction of Midgar. Sephiroth grinned.

_Gods, he's enjoying this. More like Hojo every minute..._

"Fine," he said, "If you want to die, then go ahead." She stopped upon hearing this, then swiftly turned to face him.

"I don't need your threats," she hissed, pulling her fists up in a fighting stance, "I can take care of myself."

Vincent finally spoke up, "Tifa...we need to find answers. Will you help us?"

She stared at him, clearly shocked. "You're...you're..." she fumbled, "going with HIM?!" She nearly shouted the last word, her face a furious shade of red.

_This isn't going to be pleasant..._

"We have to," he said, calmly, "Before we lose our minds." She scoffed, dramatically throwing her arms out and letting them slap against her thighs as she brought them down.

"Fine," she said, "but I think we already have."

_Later..._

Now they were on a path heading to Cosmo Canyon, a place that Annihilation had told Sephiroth to go. A place with answers.

Or so everyone had hoped.

Tifa had turned around, checking up on Vincent for perhaps the tenth time that hour. He was puzzled, but nevertheless kept silent.

_Maybe you should say something. She clearly doesn't want to speak with Sephiroth._

He opened his mouth, but she beat him to the punch.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes fraught with concern, "I didn't mean to be so...childish earlier." Vincent smirked imperceptibly. The little scene had almost amused him.

"No need..." he said, then a thought struck him, "You should apologize to...him." She gaped at him, nearly stumbling. Her cheeks grew a little pink, then slowly reddened.

"Maybe..." she said, her voice quiet, "...later."

Vincent shrugged. The silence of their trek took over once again.

_Perfect..._ a small voice muttered from the trees, too quiet even for Vincent to hear.


	12. Chapter 11 Scholar's Bane

A/N: The "bad guy" makes his first appearance. Thank you all again for your reviews. You are what fuels this story's continuation. :)

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**Chapter 11 – Scholar's Bane**

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They were back. Back to a place they had forgotten about five years ago. The hidden cave, the library of lost words.

Cosmo Canyon, where all their troubles truly began.

_I did not think we would come back to this._

They were gathered in Nanaki's cave, once a place of respite, now a waiting room for things to come. Tifa looked nervously around her, eyes still ringed with red, from the tears she had shed on the account of Cloud. Sephiroth stood while the others sat, pacing around, a somber look on his face. Nanaki sat and observed them all, his face not yielding any insight into their current state.

_I wonder what my face betrays. I cannot feel its control..._

Cid had aided in their escape, using his new Rover, and Nanaki had suggested they go to Kalm...but Sephiroth had intervened.

"_We cannot hide from it any longer...we must go back to where we can find answers. Where we first saw him..." he told them plainly, commanding as he always did._

"_Then we must go to Cosmo Canyon. We have to finish what we started," Tifa spoke up bravely, though her eyes betrayed her fear._

The thoughts still rang in Vincent's ears, of conversations he normally heard in dreams.

_Tiveph. Where do you hide? Reveal your purpose..._

But his silent prayers were unanswered. All the clues they had were incomplete. Only a series of old books they found the last time they were here. Maybe he would read through them again...maybe he missed something.

"Vincent..." Tifa said, barely a whisper, "...can I talk to you? Alone?" He nodded almost unseen, while she got up from her seat, and gestured towards the upper levels.

_Later..._

"He...accused...us," Tifa began, her voice a tremble, "Why? Doesn't he trust me?" Vincent shook his head.

_Cloud...don't be a fool. Don't do this._

"He was just angry," he said calmly, "He didn't like being...spurned."

_No man does._

"I..." she began, a desperate sound in her voice.

"Human relations are SO predictable," a familiar voice said, out of nowhere. Vincent drew his gun, looking around desperately for the source.

He saw no one. But Tifa did.

"Cloud..." she said her eyes wide, her hands trembling, "Why are you here?"

_She's hallucinating...but why did I hear too?_

"You still do not know my presence, dear?" he said, his voice cold, detached.

Then he materialized, and Vincent could see the familiar shape of Cloud Strife...at least it looked like Cloud.

"Tifa," Vincent said urgently, "What does Surrender look like?" She stared, not noticing his sudden inquiry.

"I'm so sorry..." she said, "I should have told you more...you didn't give me the chance." A silent tear slipped down her cheek. The silent blond man stepped towards her holding out his hand.

"Yes, I know..." he said, beckoning her closer, "...I forgive you. Come to me..."

_This is not right. This is not right!_

"No!" he shouted at Tifa, "It's not Cloud!" She turned her head, an angry look on her face.

"It's your fault!" she shouted, pointing an angry finger in his direction, "You...wouldn't let me go back to him! You said we HAD to go...I just wanted to go home..." She was clenching her fists, every muscle in her body was tense.

He looked at her, confused, offended. Then he pointed his gun at Cloud and fired.

"NO!!" she shouted, running towards him. Then, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The bullet didn't hit him. It passed completely through him.

"You...never miss..." she said, as if fading out of a trance, "What did you do to Cloud?" Then last question she aimed venomously at the vision, who was smiling.

"What makes you think Cloud is alive?" he said, enjoying the look of horror on her face.

"...Surrender?" she said timidly, "...Cloud's...dead?" Surrender nodded, that arrogant smile on his face.

"Why else would Cloud have asked you to marry him..." he began, "He never loved YOU." She was sobbing, loud, choking sobs.

"...but I do," he added the cruel smirk implanted on his face, "He's been dead since you left him...Tiveph couldn't have you...distracted."

_Five years? This imposter has been with us five years?_

"Find out what you can..." Surrender added, his voice unusually human, "...before Tiveph does." With that he disappeared from sight.

He looked over at Tifa, whose legs finally forced her to collapse, near kneeling, on the floor.

_Meanwhile..._

"Nanaki," Sephiroth said, pulling himself out of his thoughts, "Where are the books?"

Nanaki looked up at him, feline curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "This way," he said, with a flick of his tail in the direction of Sephiroth's asking. The man nodded, and hurriedly paced over to the library, with a small pile of books stacked up on it. The air smelled stale and dry, and he wrinkled his nose at it.

The books were worn, old and some were slightly molded. He gingerly picked up the first one from the stack, it was a faded moss green, with undecipherable symbols adorning the cover. He opened it and tried to read. His brows furrowed in frustration as he saw the text, fighting the impulse to throw the book against the wall.

"Nanaki!" he shouted impatiently, "What the hell is this!?!" The cat lumbered over, a nonchalant look on his face.

"Old," he replied, "A very old language. Related to the Cetra tongue..." Sephiroth glared at him.

"I know it's OLD!" he gasped out, furious, "What does it MEAN??" Nanaki smirked, enjoying the man's impatience.

"That's a book on agriculture..." he said, watching Sephiroth's fists tighten, "Irrigation mostly...would you like me to read it to you?" His tail flicked lazily in the air, while Sephiroth stood, fighting an impulse to do something...rash.

"Perhaps you were looking for something...else?" Nanaki asked in amused tones. Sephiroth slammed the book back on the table.

"Yes," he answered curtly, "...about preternatural psyche grafting...or something like that." Sephiroth strained as he tried to get the subject matter out, it was Vincent who had done the research in the beginning.

"Ah," Nanaki said, padding over to a shelf to his right, "...Tiparu...Tipeth...Tiphareth!" His voice was muffled with the last word, as he took the appropriate book in his mouth. He ambled back over to Sephiroth, who seemed reluctant to accept the book.

"Is it in...English?" he asked, staring at the creature suspiciously. Nanaki shook his head.

"Then will you..." he began, shoulders slumping, "read it?" Nanaki nodded in response, and then dropped the book in front of himself. His expression was sour.

"That book is not to my taste," he said, as Sephiroth smirked, "Shall we begin?"

Sephiroth sat down in a chair near the table, propping his head on his elbow.

"Yes," he replied, and prepared himself for the endless boredom he knew he was in for.

"The process in the metaphysical realm of a psyche being attached to its physical body is..."

_Meanwhile..._

Vincent was staring helplessly at the form of Tifa, where she came to an uneasy rest on the floor.

_Dammit Strife! Why did you have to die? Why did you leave me with...this..._

"Just go..." she whispered, "You don't have to deal with this. We've got bigger problems. Go help Sephiroth." He made his way to leave, albeit hesitantly.

"Don't listen to what Surrender said," he spoke before fully leaving the door, "He did care for you, even if he was too late to say anything." With that, he disappeared from her sight.

_I shouldn't leave her like...this. She will not notice if I stay nearby._

Once he was far enough out of her sight, he sat down on the stairs, silent and still. Then evening was beginning, Cosmo Canyon was ablaze with a dazzling array of reds and oranges. It had a calm, sleepy silence, it was the abode for thinkers, for philosophers. Vincent felt so out of place, his gloomy appearance dampening the warm feel of the area.

He felt an odd presence, a presence he had been waiting for.

"So, Tiveph," he said, still staring at the departing sun, "You've finally decided to make an appearance." A short metallic laugh was his response.

"You made a new body," Vincent said, finally turning to the figure, giving him a quick glance. The tall mechanized body of Tiveph settled down next to Vincent on the step.

"It took awhile," Tiveph answered coldly, "but machines can always be rebuilt." He turned his attention to Vincent's claw, ever curious about his cursed appendage. Vincent shifted uncomfortably.

"I could make you a better one," Tiveph said, his glowing oculars inspecting the prosthetic. Vincent shook his head.

"Get to the point," Vincent said icily, "Or I'll be forced to destroy this body too."

"Very well then," Tiveph groaned a little, "I need to finish my research." Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Leave her...them out of this," he replied quickly.

"So you're willing to accept this alone?" Tiveph said, amused.

"Yes," Vincent said, "I accept this burden."

"Obsession will be pleased," Tiveph replied, getting up slowly, "He's been waiting."

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Action awaits! Next chapter!


	13. Chapter 12 Even Gods Sometimes Fall

A/N: Some major revelations in this chapter. Soon, things will make sense...(or get more confusing). There will be a fight scene sometime soon in the chapters, I just don't know how to write it yet...

Thanks again for all your reviews! If you ever get bored, I'm in the process of writing a comedy piece (Dunpeal Crossing) and I have a few one-shots out there (conversation studies).

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**Chapter 12 – Even Gods Sometimes Fall**

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_**Why are you so shy? You've seen me now...**_

_It's not shyness..._

_**We will be together for eternity...**_

_Just go...leave me..._

_**You know I can't do that...**_

Tifa woke up with a start, trying to take in her surroundings. Her memory was a blur, and her head was pounding. Flames danced in front of her vision, and she feared she was still dreaming. She focused her eyes...and saw Sephiroth.

_I must be dreaming...a nightmare really..._

She looked closer, inspecting her vision of Sephiroth. He was sleeping, his left arm lay limply across his eyes, blocking out the firelight. His right arm was at an odd angle, and she could see that his hand was clutching his sword. An odd smirk was on his lips as he slept, like he was having an amusing dream. No, this was not a nightmare, for this surely wasn't a vision of the megalomaniac as she remembered. The fire was not all consuming, either, just a large campfire, not the burning of her childhood home. Then she looked over and saw another man, awake, and watching them with red eyes which reflected the fire back into something almost sinister.

"Vincent?" she said cautiously, her eyes squinting at the dark man. He didn't answer.

_Yep, it's Vincent alright._

She turned her attention back to Sephiroth. She still had to apologize to him. She groaned.

"So..." she began, knowing that this would probably be a one sided conversation, "...Do you trust him?" He nodded, a quick nod that almost looked like a muscle twitch. She grinned nervously.

"So...you knew his mother?" He gave a quick, spastic laugh at this.

"You could say that."

"She must have loved Sephiroth very much," she said, not noticing Vincent's grimace, "to bring him back the way she did."

"..." Vincent placed his head in his hands. Tifa looked over at him and frowned.

"Oh, I didn't mean to hit a nerve or anything like that..." she quickly muttered, hoping that she didn't sound a fool.

"You did not," he clipped. She shifted her weight, suddenly feeling awkward.

_Smooth move, Tifa. Now he's gonna go back to stone silence._

"Do not worry," he said suddenly, catching her off guard, "It is...what I deserve." She looked at him confusedly. His face yielded no more answers.

"I'm going for a short walk," she said springing to her feet, "I won't be long." He simply nodded and went back to staring into the fire.

Cosmo Canyon was quite the sight at night. The stars were more brilliant here than around Midgar, with its haze, and giant plate blocking the lower classes. The air took on its own life, creating optical illusions for the eye. The stars looked like they were dancing; an ancient and clockwork dance, and Tifa had stopped to look at them, her walk completely forgotten. For here, beyond the firelight, her mind felt open.

_I wonder if everyone else is fine. I wouldn't have left them if it weren't for that dream...that real and aching dream. Aeris said Cloud was in terrible danger and that I was the only one who could save him._

She sniffed at her own presumption. Her dreams...were dreams. How could dreams hold sway over the true and real world? The mind was only an attachment of reality...wasn't it?

_Wasn't he supposed to come and save me? "Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me." I was so sure of things...when did things change?_

"I think you did," the cold voice that should be warm said. She looked down from the stars, her eyes falling on someone she should be happy to see, if not for the tainted image.

"Surrender," she said, an irritation creeping into her voice, "Can't I have one silent reverie?" He held up his finger and shook it, as if scolding a small child.

"You should be happy to see me," he said, an arrogant expression adorning his once pleasant face, "Aren't I what you see each morning?" She glared, contorting her face into a mockery of femininity. He laughed, only causing the grimace to further ingrain itself into her features.

"Well, I'm not here for you anyway," he said, arching an eyebrow, "My creator wishes to speak with you." Her face flashed from its previous form into that of question.

"Creator?" she said, her eyes darting wildly around the rocks and outcroppings. Surrender smirked, pointing with his eyes to a particularly shadowed cleft, one that Tifa had not noticed before.

The first thing she heard was the heavy footsteps and the creak of metal.

_It's something...big. Probably not friendly either..._

She got into a defensive stance, with fists ready. As it approached, is seemed smaller than she estimated, and wondered if her senses were as acute as she originally thought. Still, she held her ground.

"Hello child," it spoke, with a strangely human voice. She was expecting something hostile, something alien, or something beastly. Not the smooth baritone that was his voice. His appearance, however, was far from human.

He stood on two legs, which were gnarled masses of wires and tubing, with the hints of a sturdy metallic skeleton peaking between the gaps; its surface smooth and reflective. The feet were like tripod bases, with one digit in the back and two in the front equidistant from each other. His torso was plated, unlike his legs; it was composed of a dark metal that seemed to absorb all the light. There were thin ridges that scattered along its surface like a web, and they carried little streams of light; prismatic marvels in their own right. One arm had a close resemblance to a hand-like appendage at the end of it; five "fingers" with what appeared to be retractable instruments for each one, the dark made it hard to see what kind of instruments they were. The other arm had what appeared to be a knife, but it glowed strangely along it edge, and as if it were a quickly shifting energy. The arms themselves were thin, with wires snaking around the unusual skeleton, but along the elbows and shoulders there were shields made of that same strange dark metal, but without the ridges of light.

She didn't want to look at the face...she feared the inhuman sight her eyes might behold.

_You're braver than this...you're not a child, afraid of demons in the night._

His face was a mask...or at least it appeared as one. It had crude eye holes and a slit for the mouth. She could not make out any eyes or mouth underneath, just black emptiness. This unsettled her more than a hideous face would have.

"That stubborn recessive gene..." he said, presumably inspecting her, "Eyes that are burgundy...shame you don't have green ones." She looked at this..._machine..._with a skeptical look on her face.

_I don't have time for games. What does this have to do with me?_

"Who are you?" she felt herself burst out, mentally chiding herself for her impatience.

"One who came first," he replied, no clear emotion betrayed in his voice, "A restless spirit, whose body has long decayed."

_It's human?_

_**He's beyond human...what is the term you use for them ...Ancients?**_

Still uneasy with Surrender's ability to burrow into her mind, she didn't see the gravity of the situation.

"I thought Aeris was the last one..." she said, her mouth catching up with things long before her body. He answered quickly.

"So did she."

_Meanwhile..._

Sephiroth shifted his arm, letting one eye peek out. He saw a blurred image of Vincent, shifting from the heat of the fire.

"Is she gone?" he asked him, with an eye still covered. Vincent nodded.

"Good. That woman's more trouble than she's worth," he said amusedly, letting his arm slide off his eye and sitting up.

"Lucrecia..." Vincent said, as if the very name would conjure speeches from the other man's mouth. Sephiroth smirked.

"You're not my father, are you Valentine?" he asked, ignoring Vincent's flash of a scowl.

"...No," the other man answered, "...We were not lovers..." With that admission he cast his eyes downward. Sephiroth's face suddenly became serious.

"She told me something..." he said, his eyes wandering, "...for you." He then turned to Vincent, green eyes blazing. Vincent looked up, rapt with attention.

"She said, 'Even gods sometimes fall..." he watched Vincent closely, "...watch over them...both of them. Or I will never find peace.'" Sephiroth frowned a little at the last part. He needed no one to look after him...unlike Vincent, he _was _a god. Vincent's face stayed stony, and Sephiroth ascertained that it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"I'm afraid she still doesn't love you," Sephiroth whispered, "Not how you would like it to be." Vincent scowled at this, letting the expression sink into his face.

"What do you know of such things?" he asked angrily, and stood up. Sephiroth's face gained its ever present smirk once again.

"Only what my mother has taught me," he said, thoroughly enjoying Vincent's foray into humanity. Vincent stormed off.

"Well, well, Sephiroth," he muttered to himself, "Now all I have to do is tell Lockheart that it's Strife's body I'm using, and..." he cut himself off. The thoughts seemed much more delicious in his mind.


	14. Chapter 13 May You Always Be the Genera...

Author's Note: Ugh. Quotes are hard to find. But I found them. Yes, this little thought sequence Tifa has contains genuine quotes from Cloud and Vincent. Hope this story is moving along well, next chapter I plan on a fight scene, hope I can pull it off.

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**Chapter 13 – May You Always Be the General**

* * *

_I'm so confused..._

She sat on the stone floor awkwardly, her muscles beginning to complain from the position. She didn't know how long she had been there, but it had to have been quite awhile. She had stopped crying when Vincent left; somehow crying alone didn't make her feel better.

_Cloud can't be dead...he's too...stubborn for that._

"_Everyone has to find their own reason."_

She stiffly stood up, groaning at the difficulty of movement. She peered out into the stairs...no one was there. She exhaled slowly, hesitant to face her companions.

_Gods, I shouldn't have been so mean to Vincent...he's been through the same thing before. Eerily the same..._

"_Too much hope is the opposite of despair. An overpowering love may consume you in the end..."_

She gasped at her own thoughts. Something was all too similar. She shook her head wearily.

_Stop inventing things...Hojo is dead. There is no connection...._

"_I was wrong. The one who should have slept was...you, Hojo!"_

She let herself practice a smile. She knew that she had to put on that same old face or else she would lose her concentration, lose her grip.

_Tiveph...you've given one more good reason for me to kill you..._

"_If this is all a dream, don't wake me up."_

She put one foot forward. She only hoped that Sephiroth wouldn't take the opportunity to make his usual jabs at her.

_Later..._

"Sephiroth and I have discovered something very interesting about the Cetra," Nanaki said, whilst Sephiroth stood with his arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently. Tifa had giggled at the scene she had witnessed moments before: Nanaki curled at Sephiroth's feet, reading to him, while Sephiroth looked like a bored child.

"We've discovered what Vincent was researching when we were here five years ago," Sephiroth nearly burst out, the impatience far too much for him. Tifa raised her eyebrows.

_Where is he anyway..._

"Do you remember him mentioning 'preternatural psyche grafting'?" Nanaki asked, large feline eyes focused on Tifa. She nodded.

"Well, it was something a Cetra came up with, his name was Tiphareth," he continued, still watching Tifa. The words elicited no response from her.

"Oddly enough, this was the only remaining document of his," Sephiroth butted in, tired of the cat's voice, "He was either banished or worse, from what I can tell..." With this, Tifa suddenly came back into reality.

"What exactly is preternatural psyche grafting?" she asked, barely above a whisper. Nanaki turned his head downward.

"Soul splicing," Sephiroth said, ignoring Nanaki's hesitance, "He's been attaching souls to objects, machines, books...and demons." Her eyes grew wide.

_The hell..._

"How in the gods' name did he come up with that idea?" she asked, her eyes flicking between the two before her. Both shrugged.

"That does not matter," Nanaki answered, "what matters is we understand how Vincent came to have his demons." Tifa nodded.

"It's also reversible," Sephiroth added, awaiting Tifa's reaction.

_Gods! We have to tell him, now! He'll be so happy..._

"There's a catch, isn't there," she eyed them suspiciously, having no indication from them that this was a good thing. Nanaki sighed.

"It is painful," he said, eyes still downcast, "It is very difficult...and we no longer have the means to do it."

_I wonder if he found out...before. I wonder if that's why he disappeared that time..._

"We still should tell him," she said, staring down at Nanaki, "He needs to know. Maybe he'll be able to...someday. He'll be around a long time." Nanaki nodded slowly.

"Where is Valentine, anyway?" Sephiroth asked, peering outside the library. He swiftly exited the room.

"What is it, Tifa?" Nanaki asked once Sephiroth was gone. She took a deep breath.

_The world has gone mad..._

"Well..." she began, a prickle of tears in the corners of her eyes, "...Cloud is dead." Nanaki's eyes grew wide.

"Are you sure?" he spoke each word as if it pained him. She nodded. He lumbered to where she was standing, and curled up around her feet. She bent down to join him, petting his fur. Neither spoke, they sat, waiting for time to call them.

_Meanwhile..._

"Dammit, Valentine," Sephiroth muttered, wandering the stair cases and towers of Cosmo Canyon. He covered ground quickly, his tall man's stride and his growing impatience making short work of his search. He stopped for a minute just outside the observatory.

Someone was up there.

He peered into the observatory, thinking Vincent was there. He was greeted by a different face, however.

"Hello, Mother," he said, his voice cold. The woman smiled, green eyes trained on her son's face. Then her expression turned stern.

"He is with Tiveph now," she said, pushing her glasses up further on her nose, an unconscious action. He nodded, relaxing his stance.

"You don't approve, do you?" he asked, her brow furrowing in an answer.

"Always with your own agendas..." she replied, "reminds me of your father." He frowned.

"Yes, but you're not entirely Lucrecia..." he said, holding his hand up as if to physically brush her off, "Only a form of her."

"If you keep up like this, you will only fall into his plan," she said tersely, annoying with his words. He glared.

"Maybe so," he said, his mouth tugging up on one side, "but _I_ still get what I want."

"May you always be the General...Sephiroth," she said, quietly, slipping out of sight. He grinned.

"So Tiveph has Valentine?" he mused, striding out of the observatory, "It will be ever so interesting to tell poor Lockhart the news..."

_Later..._

"What?" she strained, hearing of Sephiroth's news. He was sitting near the Flame, opposite to Nanaki and her.

_Now I know I shouldn't have told him to leave...I don't want anymore death..._

"We have to go find him," she said, her voice deceptively confident. Sephiroth scoffed.

"Tiveph could be anywhere," he said, gesturing his arm in a wide arc, "The Planet is at his disposal." She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Not everywhere," she said, staring him down. He shrugged.

"I might..." he began, eyes upward in deep thought, "...have an idea where he might be." She stood bolt upright.

_It's a start. That's all we need. _

"Then we have no time to waste!" she made off towards the buildings to retrieve her gear.

_I'm not letting you do this alone. I don't care how stubborn you are..._

"You seem to know an awful lot for someone who should have been dead five years ago," Nanaki stated, side glancing Sephiroth. The other man shrugged.

"A general's ultimate strength is to appear as if he knows everything," he said casually, reclining back. Nanaki gave him one more cautious look before sauntering inside to check on Tifa.

"...the better to fool you with..." he said quietly when no one else remained.

* * *

Who was it that said Sephiroth was a good guy in this story? Well, just so you know, you were wrong. Hehe.


	15. Chapter 14 Whence I See

Author's Note: A little on the surreal side...hope it's not too weird... Thanks to those who are keeping up with this crazy story...

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**Chapter 14 – Whence I See**

* * *

Vincent walked along angrily, his metallic boots actually daring to make a noise with each step. His eyes were absolutely flaming. He could feel the prickle of _the others_ in the back of his mind.

_Not far away enough. Not here._

_**We need it...you can't hold us back.**_

A pain seared through his head, causing him to bend over, stopping his flight. He choked back his voice, trying desperately to move onward. His human arm felt clammy, cold, and had a grayish hue. A burning sensation trickled up his spine.

_No! Stay back!_

_**This is the exchange for your anger. Give it up.**_

"You're a liar!"

The feminine shout nearly sent him over the edge. He did not know where it came from, but he had a good idea who it was. Another wave of pain shot through him, bringing him to his knees.

_If you take over, promise to be useful. She is in trouble, we must help._

**_A maiden wandered into the dark wood..._**

_Then I will resist. Don't think I can't._

But before he could hear the retort, he felt the wings...and he hoped that his plea would go answered.

...**_She saw the flash of metal bones, and a lilting eternity. _**

Chaos lifted his head upwards, sniffing into the wind; he smiled hungrily when he could sense the source. He jumped off the ground, hastily taking flight. He was not even fully transformed physically, and this annoyed him.

**_Her hair splayed out like raven wings, her gossamer torn and faded. _**

He followed the scent, the flesh becoming clearer in his mind, and soon he could smell the emotions, and the wonderful side effects they entail.

**_What was it like to tear the petals? Do flowers feel pain?_**

The metallic odor lent no information, however. But soon there would be no need for olfactory probing.

He saw them.

**_When man made gods to control history, did they hear her scream?_**

Tiveph looked up at the oncoming demon, and something in his shoulder hissed. The multicolored lights from his torso converged and then shifted into a deep red, pulsing in variations of the hue. The reflection of the light in Tifa's eyes looked like blood.

**_Every demon was once a man, and every man his lover's tool._**

His left arm started to reshape, the luminescent blade lengthening and thinning, and splitting at the ends into three prongs. It was a ghastly weapon once it took its final form, like a thrice forked snake tongue. He thrust it into the air at the demon, whose wings were brushing the stray hairs on Tifa's head. She dared not take her eyes from the machine in front of her.

_**No wanton valkyrie, no Amazon of old...they are but tatters of lace in the wind.**_

Chaos screeched; avoiding the slash of the blade. A scrape of metal on metal resounded, accompanied with a flash of brown hair swaying with the rhythm of a dancer. Her breath labored, for no invention of flesh could compare with the unholy perfection of metal. Her eye flashed to her glove, the orbs glowing in false colors, stained by the red light.

_**Voice! Glean the heart from the mind! Leave no warrior standing 'twixt the cries!**_

The brilliant blue mixed with the red, tingeing the unanticipated arena a violent amethyst. Chaos narrowly missed the bolt, feeling the electric tingle on his skin. He clawed through the air, tearing teeth into wire. Soon, the crimson claimed her vision again, and she doubled over, a strange shudder overtaking her body.

**_Whence I see you... no longer behind your mask of pretense...I will strike._**

Chaos crumpled his wings, hastily heading into the ground. Faint human features coexisted with the demonic grimace. The ever searing red eyes opened wide, and a trickle of blood dribbled on a long dark lash. But the viper had not yet been charmed into its basket.

_React. Then think._

His hand reached his side, pulling the shotgun free from its bonds. Hands worked automatically, and senses picked out the target...but humanity hesitated.

_What IS that?_

Then he saw Tifa, shivering on the ground, holding a Bolt materia in her trembling fingers. There was no time for thinking, and the sound of three shots echoed in the air. His aim was at its head, and he never misses.

_This is not human...maybe not even alive. That should have killed it._

"Your left hand is beautiful," it said, the euphonic voice of an archangel. Vincent leapt up, finally standing at his full height. It was nearly a foot taller than him. It had half a mask on, almost, one side smooth and polished dark...the other a mess of blinking lights and gears. He aimed at the latter side.

"Die," Vincent replied, looking down the barrel of the gun, a wave of deadly anticipation creeping up his arm. Tiveph chuckled with an innocent sounding amusement.

"Too bad the Fallen always has to be replaced the most," he said, placing his palms together, a strange ripple emanating in the air from their union, "You meddle far too much to remain useful."

"And what of the Exulted?" a familiar voice said, a low hum of finely tempered metal as accompaniment. Tiveph whirled around, only to experience his head being severed by the Masamune.

* * *

Umm...short. Sorry. I didn't want to drag it out too much. Now you can understand why Tifa and Vincent trust Sephiroth...he kinda has good timing.


	16. Chapter 15 Conversing with Chaos

Author's Note: This story is only going to get stranger...just a warning. I am fascinated with Vincent's demons...so I elaborated on one. If you don't like this interpretation...well, sorry. Enjoy my forays into strangeness...

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Conversing with Chaos**

* * *

He had been staring at it for a few hours now, waiting for some sign of Tiveph. The tiny chain in his hand quivered slightly when he focused on it, proving once again the inexplicable link with the mind and the body. The small stone dangling from it gave him a focus, its dark surface seemingly impenetrable. Then he shifted himself so that the stone was between him and the light, allowing it to reveal its secrets; for it was now clearer than glass. He lifted the corner of his mouth, remembering how he came to own such a trinket.

_**Your love of sentimentalism makes me ill.**_

_So what would you know of such things? You are a demon._

_**As are you, I would like to remind you.**_

Vincent let out a hiss of breath. He had been focusing on the necklace in order to avoid such conversations, but he knew that Chaos had been waiting for him to lose his resolve.

_How fast I lose control..._

He was sitting in a bare room that had an antiseptic smell and stark lighting. There was no door, no chains, and no restraints. Anything that held Vincent there was contained within his own mind, within his own honor.

_**Playing noble? I can tell you about nobility...**_

His eyes widened. A tickle started in the back of his brain, filling his nerves with an electric numbing. It almost felt like transforming...but his body was not phasing, and he wasn't being knocked out of his own consciousness. It was almost as if he where being put on the sidelines, but for what purpose...he did not know. He closed his eyes briefly, but when he opened them, he was no longer in the room.

He was in a vast room, filled with well-dressed people.

He looked down at himself, and he was wearing something beautifully tailored, but of an older style, like something his father would have worn. As he looked around, the people were also arrayed in like manner; ladies with small, fitted hats, and simple lined dresses, and men with broad shouldered suits, and smart hats of their own. He glanced over to the side, and saw a mirror...

Another man stared back at him.

This man had a strong chin, mischievous blue eyes and short cropped blond hair. His face looked variable enough to be stern and gentle at the same time. It was the face of a lady killer, and whoever had it, knew it.

_What is this? Chaos! What have you done?_

_**Just watch, you'll see.**_

He felt a light tap on his shoulder, and spun around, meeting a sight that almost made him gasp.

_Lucrecia?_

"Hello, Jonas," the woman said, her voice like honey, but not the voice Vincent remembered. He almost frowned with disappointment.

"Ophelia..." his voice spoke, but unbidden from his will. He then realized he was only an observer, nothing more. The woman smiled.

"So you do remember," she her green eyes sparkling, "I thought a busy man like you would be at a loss for names." He felt his face smile.

"I never forget a face," he said coyly, "Especially one as lovely as yours." She laughed; a lilting melodic laugh.

_If she's not Lucrecia...then who is she?_

_**A curse.**_

Her face faded from his vision, as well as the rest of the people, and the room. He blinked.

Now he was in a green meadow, next to a stream. Around him hung the branches of a willow tree, drooping their leaves into the cool water. His eyes then met a familiar form; a woman in a light summer dress, eyes bespectacled reading from some sort of book.

_She certainly looks like her. Even wears reading glasses._

She looked up, smiling a warm familiar smile. He felt his stomach wrench.

"Still reading that old thing?" he asked, setting his tall frame down upon the grass, leaning in close to her. She laughed again, that hauntingly melodic laugh. She slowly removed the glasses, piercing him with her soft gaze.

"Of course, Professor," she said innocently, closing the book gently. He grinned.

"You do know that isn't my true profession?" he asked rhetorically, finger carelessly entwined in a lock of auburn hair. She leaned in.

"I don't care..." she whispered, bringing her face dangerously close. He closed his eyes, expectantly...

Then he opened them, and saw crimson. Everywhere.

He was indoors, in a dark room, filled with strange tubes and metallic implements. Papers were scattered on tabletops and inkwells were carelessly strewn amongst them. He looked down, finally seeing the source of the crimson.

A man lay there, prone and nearly floating in a pool of his own blood. He looked like he had been stabbed, and several times at that, judging by the state of his flesh. It almost looked like an animal had ripped through him, almost like...

_A monster._

Then he saw his hand, covered in blood. His right hand was another story entirely. It was a dark metallic claw, sharpened and dripping red. Then he turned to the doorway, where a small form watched his movements with abject horror.

It was a small girl, with auburn hair and curiously cinnamon eyes.

"Mommy!" the girl shouted, running away from the terror standing above a corpse. His feet followed her, running towards her swiftly. Just when he thought he would catch her, he collided with a soft mass of lace and linen. The child grabbed the form, whose angry green eyes were fixed on his face.

"Leave!" she said, her voice quivering, "I never want to see you again Jonas...you..." but her voice failed her. The girl clung to her skirt, sobbing. He turned to leave, his feet going faster...ever faster.

"Monster," he heard her whisper, closing his eyes to stop the pain of his face...

When Vincent opened his eyes, he saw the stark room again, and the familiar feel of his own heart, beating rapidly in his chest.

_**We are not so different, you and I.**_

_What was that?_

_**A lesson. A warning. It is too late for me...**_

"So Chaos still has the ability to project," a deceptively smooth voice said, breaking Vincent's thoughts. He looked up into cold, glowing green eyes; the eyes of a machine.

"Tiveph," he said tonelessly, "What have you done?" Tiveph kept staring, his mock facial muscles mechanically reproducing a smirk.

"Have you ever been in love, Vincent?" Tiveph inquired cruelly, watching for the strain in the man's face. Vincent scowled, boring his red eyes into the mockery of human expression.

"It's a curious thing with humans," Tiveph continued, "There are the natural chemical reactions...boring biological responses. Then there is the psychological aspect...a stunning and beautiful thing if you ask me."

_How dare...that MACHINE, that..._

_**Monster? I wouldn't point fingers...**_

"Did you know that green eyes can trigger a series of events within the psyche?" Tiveph asked, having set his now slimmer machinations on a chair nearby. Vincent continued the stone silence.

"Very well," he continued, seemingly enjoying the musical tones of a programmed voice, "There are few forms that a human body can take that rouse such stirrings within a soul."

"I see you went more aesthetically with this new form," Vincent said, his voice carrying a rough edge. Tiveph ignored his statement.

"Certain lines of human families carry certain psychological traits in addition to the normal physical ones," he carried on, each new sentence crescendoing and decrescendoing along specific melodious paths, "Poets, scholars, and scientists...they tend to follow what their father set before them. Legacies of genius, or stupidity, or impassioned minds..."

_**Or foolishness.**_

"...all one in the same. Even attraction can be tailored according to certain tendencies... This was never something with the Cetra. I had to look to the stars to see such a sight..." he stopped abruptly, his iron mouth clamping with a small click.

"Get to the point," Vincent said rebelliously, "I tire of your endless chatter." Tiveph regained the artificial smirk.

"I think it's time you met your legacy, Vincent Valentine," he crooned with the dulcet tones of a violin, "Although you've been quite troublesome. Not even staying true to the ideal...of Jenova."

**_Welcome, Vincent, to Hell._**

* * *

Author's Note: I'll get around to the point of this story soon...hope this isn't dragging along too much! 


	17. Chapter 16 Wherever, Whoever

Author's Note: This is the last of the "in the past" chapters. After this chapter, all the storyline will take place five years post Meteor. Okay? So this ties up that part of the story....so the plot will be a little faster from here on out. The end is near! (I hope . ) Thank you for all of your lovely reviews, you make a novice writer feel good.

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**Chapter 16 – Wherever, Whoever**

* * *

The last thing that made sense was the shuddering of her body, and a sudden coldness enveloping her. Her eyes were shut, the comforting blackness of her eyelids letting the thoughts seep into her head.

_Tiveph...so strong...I couldn't...Vincent? Am I dead? Cloud..._

_**See. Look.**_

She cautiously opened an eye, only to find a small face peering over her. She opened both her eyes wide, nearly startling her little observer.

"Are you ok pretty lady?" the small girlish voice asked. Tifa could see the face entirely now, it was a little girl, with lovely wavy auburn locks and brown, no, cinnamon colored eyes.

"Where am I?" Tifa asked the girl with a gentle, soothing tone. The girl giggled.

"You look like an angel," she replied childishly, "Just like Mommy tells me." The girl couldn't be much older than seven or so, and Tifa understood she would have to be patient.

"Where is your Mommy now?" Tifa asked sweetly. The girl smiled broadly.

_I wonder what my daughter would look like, if I could have one..._

_**If she had your eyes, she'd be beautiful...**_

_Leave my thoughts alone. Please, Surrender._

She strained to keep the ill thoughts from contorting her face, so instead she smiled broadly at the girl.

"You're not like most angels," the girl continued, a giggle in her voice, "Are you MY angel?"

"If that's what you want," she answered, giving the girl a gentle pat on the head. She outstretched her tiny hand and Tifa gladly accepted it, soon being pulled from her spot on the ground. She followed the tiny footsteps, past landscapes she didn't focus on, and people she didn't notice.

She looked up, greeted with a familiar set of green eyes. Tifa gasped.

"Aeris?" she asked shakily, her eyes capturing it all; the pink dress, the braided hair, and the smiling face.

"This is the angel Mommy talks about," the girl said, and Aeris nodded appreciatively. Tifa's eyes welled with tears, and the girl patted her hand comfortingly.

"I haven't much time," she said, her voice echoing strangely in Tifa's mind, "I just wanted to remind you, to tell you..."

_**Do you not remember what I promised?**_

"...When the bloom is past, it will bear fruit," her words seemed strained, halting, "He will try to do it on his own...you cannot..." She labored a breath. Tifa reached out towards her, but she shook her head.

_**It was always you...**_

"...forget, Tifa. Never forget what you are..." she coughed, a pained look on her face, "...The Consumed...between...Tifa...this is...the last...I can...do...Tifa..."

"Tifa!"

Frightened red eyes stared at her inches from her face. She stared back, still and faintly breathing. He stayed in their odd stalemate, both having forgotten they had muscles. She saw something strange in those eyes, caught up in the humanity of them.

_Relief...is he glad that I am alive?_

He finally broke the gaze, stiffly standing up, his eyes retaining their usual glaze. He extended his human hand to politely help her up. Part of his face twitched when she touched his hand, but she was too exhausted to care. Standing on her own feet was going to take quite a bit of energy.

"We owe you our gratitude," Vincent said to Sephiroth mechanically, like a rehearsed speech, "And for that, we will spare you." He was menacing, and made sure that the other man got that point. The swordsman smirked.

"Then shall we be parting ways?" he asked delicately. Vincent nodded. Tifa looked up at him with a puzzled look, and then darted her eyes over to Sephiroth. He was staring at her now, making her uneasy. Then she noticed the broken form of Tiveph, who in addition to decapitation has been maimed like an abused doll. She breathed deeply.

_Home. It's time to go home. Wherever, whoever that is._

"What about you, Vincent?" she asked cautiously, not expecting an answer. He kept his gaze on Sephiroth.

"I will accompany you until I find something to occupy myself with," he whispered, catching her off guard, "I will see to your safety."

_Safety? We killed it! How could we not be safe?_

"I will wander around," Sephiroth broke her thoughts abruptly, "You need not worry about Strife. I will not bother him." He grinned at this, like there was some private joke in the name 'Strife'. She frowned at him.

"Goodbye Sephiroth," she said sternly, her body rigid with contempt, "Thank you."

_I want to get away from this. Why can't I live simply?_

**_You are special, Tifa. Can you not see that? Your mind holds vast potentials..._**

_I don't care! I just want to live! I want to see him!_

The general turned to leave, eyes glimmering in the hazy daybreak. Tifa watched as he went out of sight, the last bit of silver disappearing behind a hill. Vincent cleared his throat.

"If you wish to find Cloud soon," he began, calmly, "then we should leave now." She nodded, her feet responding before the rest of her body. So they walked, her a step behind, their weary forms leaving the red hills of the canyon, hoping they would have a better reason to return.

_**Why run back to him? His face will only be a bittersweet reminder...I am what you will see. You will not forget me...I will certainly not forget you...**_

She wanted to find him, and hurried her pace. Yet, she knew that he was right.

_The Consumed...is that what you meant, Aeris? Oh, please let me forget..._

* * *

I'm obsessed with the number three, can't you tell? Hope it's still interesting. I like symbolism too, so I hope it's not too bogged down with it.


	18. Chapter 17 Flowering Judas

Author's Note: Thanks for the nice reviews! Hope this chapter doesn't let you down!

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**Chapter 17 – Flowering Judas**

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_If you can tell me anything, Surrender, please do so._

_**Can I have all of your heart?**_

_Whatever it takes._

_**You're lying. You could never give all your heart to me.**_

"Lockheart!" Sephiroth shouted at her impatiently, "Were you even listening?" She shook her head wearily. They had been walking for a couple of days it seemed, but sense told her it hadn't been that long.

"Will you even tell me the location of this place?" she asked cautiously. He smirked.

"You don't trust me?" he challenged. She scowled, her whole body tensing with her face.

"No."

He grinned, a grin that often made her skin crawl. She may have to be his ally, but she would never truly like being in his company. He then walked closer to her, stopping her trek with a firm hand.

"You know, Lockheart," he began, his voice carrying oddly humane sounds, "I can tell you what he thought about..." She opened her eyes wide.

_What are you saying?_

"...when he died." His eyes were so catlike now, and she shivered at the horrifying proximity to him.

"What?" she breathed, wanting to pry the words from his throat. He grinned wider.

"He told me something," he continued, watching and reveling in the delicacy of her emotional state, "He said, 'Just make sure she knows...that...'" He paused, knowing he had her attentions in the palm of his hand.

"'...I love her. It was always her.'" He had a hard time controlling the laugh that wanted to escape his lips...but his will was harder than most metals.

"Did you kill him then?" she whispered, ignoring her tears, and ignoring her body's natural response, for she wanted to smash his face in.

"Of course not," he said casually, flicking back some of his bangs, "I was dead, remember?"

_How does he know? Is he lying?_

_**I'm afraid not, my dear.**_

"...then how?" she asked, wanting to destroy, wanting to feel the pain in her fists as she laid a fatal blow.

"I needed a body, if I was going to be resurrected," he said, catching on of her tears on his gloved finger, "...if I was ever going to make you all...suffer." She stared coldly into his inhuman eyes.

"You are a monster," she hissed, staring him down. He laughed.

"Not as much as Valentine..." he said confidently, "I'm not even half the monster that Strife is, either."

_Is?_

"What...do you mean?" she asked, her stern expression softening. He leaned in for emphasis.

"Isn't it unusual that he showed up after you ran away?" he purred, "That he looks like him, sounds like him? Almost fooled you didn't it?" Her breath caught in her throat.

_Cloud? Is that you?_

**_Sometimes, I am weak, my other half is stronger... I'm sorry, Tifa._**

He gave her a wisp of a kiss on the cheek, but she was too numb to respond.

"You can take her now," he said commandingly to someone outside of the small sphere they had formed with their words.

Then, she heard a mechanical sound, one that she hoped to never hear again.

"You thought you could evade me forever?" the musical tones of his voice jarring the thoughts in her head.

He stepped out of the trees, into the light, his body sleek and shining in the sun. The bulky and almost horrific appearance of his last form was replaced with something a little more human; more artistic. The dark metal remained, but there were no more exposed wires, all was covered in smooth liquid finished metal. The most startling feature was grinning at her.

"You...have a face..." she whispered, staring into its depths. His glowing green eyes were studying her expression, unyielding and steady. A glimmer of multivariate hue pulsed across his face, and flowed down through the rest of his body; such was the effect of sunlight. She couldn't help but find him strangely beautiful.

"You would have been the instrument," he crooned, a lovely and terrible sound, "The final reason for human existence. Yet, you are tarnished by demons."

_How arrogant of you._

"I have been working on you since before your grandmother," he said carefully, waiting for a response, "In the days before your bloodline split. But I am getting carried away...I must get back to my duties..." She stifled a cry in her throat.

"TIFA!" she heard a gruff yell, somewhere out of her vision. Then movement caught the corner of her eye.

Tiveph was momentarily distracted by the voice. Tifa saw an opening, and slammed a roundhouse into his now turned back. He was knocked to the ground, if only because of the surprise. She started running, running towards whoever was calling her name. Her instincts screamed for her to survive this...to get out of here.

But she heard footsteps that were getting louder behind her; humanly inhumane footsteps.

_Sephiroth. Run harder, Tifa. _

Then she saw him. Cid was standing near his newest flying machine in a clearing, and he couldn't have looked more welcoming. He saw her, a look of relief on his face, but it soon turned to a determined grimace when he saw who was chasing her.

"C'mon girl!" he shouted, darting to where his harpoon lay, "Get your ass inside!"

She was near now, the ship looming before her. Her lungs burned, and her legs felt like jelly. Relief was still too far for her to embrace it fully. Her boots hit the metal of the deck, and Cid was still outside, awaiting Sephiroth.

But he stopped just outside the clearing, not coming near them. He smirked at Cid.

"Love to chat, Highwind," he said mockingly, "But I've got more interesting plans..." And with that, he disappeared into the trees.

"Fucking freak," Cid whispered, but being who he was, decided that he'd better get Tifa away before thinking too hard on it. So he went, harpoon in hand, into his ship.

"Better get you back to New Midgar, Tifa," he said quietly, watching as she was huddled on the floor with Nanaki, who had calmed her down somewhat. She looked up at him with steely eyes.

"No."

He stared at her, confused and almost hurt by her harsh tone. But her face softened.

"I know where to go," she said boldly, "I can't go back to New Midgar. Vincent is about to meet..." She couldn't continue. Cid nodded, and made his way to the cockpit.

"You'd better get yer ass up here to give me some bearings!" he yelled, allowing the uncertainty show in his face.

* * *

For any of you confused by that little "kiss" of Sephiroth's...it's an allusion to Judas's betrayal of Jesus in the garden...not that I'm making Tifa into some sort of Jesus...just thought that betrayal image was a powerful one. Since Sephiroth just betrayed Tifa...I found it appropriate. 

Why was Cid around? Nanaki. He didn't trust Sephiroth...and needed some help to go look for Tifa...enter Cid. Make sense?


	19. Chapter 18 Apples

Author's Note: Thanks again for the support...hope this chapter does not dissappoint!

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**Chapter 18 – Apples**

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_What is going on?_

Vincent shook his groggy head. For the past few hours, he had experienced dreamless sleep, a sleep only induced by drugs. He couldn't remember what had happened prior to his unconsciousness. Only images of Tiveph's face snippets of his voice...

_What did he do?_

He looked over his body, and noticed something that made him both happy and terribly wary. Instead of a claw, he now had a hand. He poked it gently with his other hand, and noticed that the flesh felt oddly rubbery, and that it gave off hardly any warmth.

_Prosthetic? Why would he...?_

He was tired of Tiveph's mind games. He wanted answers, or at least some sort of end.

_Where did he go?_

He slid off of the table, and landed lightly on the ground. His boots made small clicking noises on the ground as he walked across the sterile room. He saw two doors, and stopped to consider his options.

_**Take the one on the right. Trust me.**_

He didn't feel the need to question Chaos; neither did he feel the need to obey him. In the end, sheer curiosity won over his mind. He gently pushed the right door with his new hand, surprised to find that it had minor sensory abilities.

He wished that he hadn't even considered opening the door when he saw what was inside.

There were shelves that covered the entire back wall, and on those shelves were various metal objects. Various metal claw hands. He walked over slowly, trying to determine whether or not his eyes had played tricks on him. To his dismay, they had not.

He looked closely and noticed that under each hand was some sort of label, clearly written with bold copperplate writing. The first that caught his eye was a crude silver claw, with 'Fywen, Gimel' under it. Then he looked over at the one next to it, an ornate red coppery type of claw with 'Ruddex, Ceylon' as a label. Then a misplacedly familiar dark metal one caught his attention, with a label that brought back odd memories.

It said, 'Grenne, it be from that odd dream?

**_Dream? Why is it always dreams with you?_**

He did not have the chance to dwell on it long, however. For he saw a golden claw that looked newer than the others, one that he would recognize anywhere.

It had 'Valentine, Vincent' written on new paper under it.

_Elsewhere..._

"Land here," Tifa said, with an uncharacteristically demanding tone. Cid had been initially reluctant to allow her to go off on a mission like this, but Nanaki had insisted earlier that they take her wherever she desired. It has Nanaki's fault in the first place that Cid was away from his home and chasing after Tifa to begin with. Neither of them trusted Sephiroth.

"Thanks a lot, Cid," Tifa whispered, as he made preparations to land. He winked.

"'Course, Tif," he said with his usual vigor, "Couldn't let those damn freaks get a hold of ya." She smiled an exhausted smile at him. She gazed out the window, and saw the ground coming nearer, and the familiar sight of the statue smiling up at her as they descended.

"Do you know what you're dealing with?" Nanaki asked, having sashayed next to her. She shook her head.

"I know Vincent's in trouble," she sighed, "Isn't that enough?" He considered her words for a minute.

"Always going headlong into danger," he said wistfully, "Jumping after Cloud in the Lifestream...now..." He didn't need to finish. He saw the effect of the word 'Cloud' on her face.

"I'm cursed, you know," she barely spoke, her words hushed, "Everyone I love..." Nanaki silenced her with a rub against her hand.

"I know," he soothed, "but you are not cursed. You just love so deeply. There is no curse in that." She turned to him, her face regaining its steely edge.

"I do not ask either of you to go with me," she said with a fake confidence, "Especially Cid. He has a family." Nanaki nodded.

"I will make sure he stays on the ship," he said with a murmur, watching to see if the pilot heard, "But if I can come, I will." She nodded gratefully.

A plume of smoke drifted by her face. "We've landed," came Cid's gruff exhale.

_Meanwhile..._

_What is this? Is this some cruel joke?_

_**Did you think you were the first? Hardly.**_

Vincent blinked, and then blinked again. He wanted his eyes to show him something more believable, and less unsettling.

_I was just starting to feel human...she made it look so easy..._

_**We cannot be human, you must know this...**_

_Still, are we just toys to this...machine?_

Chaos fell silent. Vincent felt the presence of another being, and finally considered that he might not be treated well for discovering this room.

"Like the apple, isn't it?" Tiveph's calm voice assailed his ears, "You were too tempted by curiosity. But that's alright. They all find this room." Vincent turned around, startled.

"Expression? I've never seen the Fallen express as much as you do," Tiveph continued, drawling out the words like poetry, "You are thinking of her? Those green eyes boring into the depths of your unconscious thought..."

"How dare you!" Vincent suddenly shouted, now longer able to contain his emotions, "You presume so much...you know nothing! Nothing!" Tiveph's machinations could not produce the shock, but the glow in his eyes gave it away.

_I haven't dreamed about her for a year now..._

_**No, you fiddle with that necklace that one girl gave you...**_

"You are indeed unique," he said coldly, the musical tones falling flat, "Still human...I guess letting you near the Consumed was perhaps a folly on my part. But no matter." He grabbed Vincent's arm roughly, and the gunman made no move to fight it. He pulled him out of the room, and stopped before the other door.

_The Consumed?_

_**Oh, you're a part of the Triad. No wonder he's so mad at you...**_

"I think you and Obsession have a few issues you need to work out," he said calmly, pushing him through the door.

_Elsewhere..._

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?!" Cid yelled, from the seat that Nanaki and Tifa had tied him up to. Tifa stifled a giggle as she heard him.

"That's a way of making sure he stays on the ship," Tifa whimpered to Nanaki conspiratorially. The beast chuckled.

"Do what you came here to do," he said, suddenly serious, to her. She inhaled deeply and knelt before the statue.

Since she planted the flower, it had grown immensely. It was a vine like plant now, snaking its way around the statue, nearly choking it. She almost wanted to cut back some of it, for the face of the statue now looked like a frightened girl. She stared at the face for a couple of seconds when something peculiar began to happen.

It started to take on a life of its own.

The stone of the face started to melt into that of something more human, with green eyes and soft brown hair. The pink lips were parted, ready to say something.

"Remember..." she said quietly, for only Tifa seemed to see this happening, "...the fruit..." Tifa was distracted by Aeris's face, and didn't want to hear the words.

"Tifa?" Nanaki asked, watching the expression of sadness on her face. She shook her head, finally understanding something almost forgotten.

Without answering, and without a thought, she picked a piece of the round fruit off the vines, and carefully took a bite.

"They...taste..." she began, a strange look in her eyes, "like apples." And with that, she disappeared from Nanaki's sight.

_The room, with Obsession..._

"I suppose you were sent here for an explanation," Obsession said idly, looking at Vincent with a bored expression. The man replied by crossing his arms, his face back to its normal nonexpression. Obsession smirked.

"Well, if you have any brains to you," he continued, turning his spectacled eyes to the wall, "Then you've figured out who I am."

"An experiment," Vincent replied coldly, "One of the later in Preternatural Psyche Grafting." The husk of a scientist nodded, the light glinted off his lenses.

"Correct," he said slowly, "One of the last, too. I am bound to a personified emotion, if you will. He is by far stronger." Vincent almost smirked at this.

_You without total control? Almost better than I had hoped for..._

"Lucrecia is the only one out of the three of us who can bend her partner's will..." he whispered, a strange expression slithering across his face, "That's why she's been such a bane to us." Vincent stared at him coldly. Obsession studied him curiously.

"Five years ago you would have tried to kill me for a statement like that..." he droned, smirking a little, "Very interesting. Tiveph would never have predicted this."

"Triad," Vincent stated forcefully, ignoring Obsession's statements, "Who else? What is it?"

"I won't answer all of your questions..." he hissed, "I can only tell you who. One is my son, whom you know as Sephiroth..."

_No surprise. Everyone uses him for their own devices._

"...and that fighter girl, who you're so fond of...Tifa Lockheart, is that her name?" He stood up a little taller, trying to make out Vincent's expression.

_Oh no. I hope she doesn't find out its Cloud..._

"She's perhaps got it the worst," Obsession said amusedly, watching as Vincent could barely control his face, "Her old sweetheart is like me. He is the last one...but his partner is based off of a cruel obsessive love...fitting he is named Surrender..."

"Partner?" he asked, using his voice as a shield. Obsession grinned.

"I was a man who changed people's bodies..." he began, straightening his posture with his over inflated pride, "But Tiveph...has found something more effective."

_The soul? The mind? Neither should be touched..._

"Vincent!"

The voice echoed in his ears, a faint and flickering hope. He turned around, looking out the door, which was still ajar.

"Goodbye Valentine," Obsession whispered, "I'll see you when you're finally a demon...I'll be waiting..."

But Vincent didn't care about Obsession's parting words.

"Vincent!"

The voice was louder, nearer. He gently pushed open the door.

_Stay away! If you are anything of good, stay away!_

"Vincent! It's me, Tifa! Please answer..."

_Tifa? Why..._

"Tifa?!" He shouted cautiously, against his better judgment.

The clatter of her running footsteps assailed his ears, and he found his feet moving towards the sound, and out a door he didn't notice before.

"Where are you? Vincent!" she was so close he could almost see her...

"Tifa." He stood on the other side of another bare room, staring at her, never happier to see anyone is his life...

_You came for me..._

She threw off all formalities, all hesitations she previously had, and crossed the room quickly. Her fumbling arms clumsily wrapped around his thin form, her head was buried in his chest.

"You're alive," she muttered into his shirt. He carefully pried her face away so he could see her.

"You came for me," he said quietly, using his human hands to brush away the tears that absently fell from her eyes. She hiccupped a small giggle.

"Of course," she whispered, "I won't let you do this alone. I can't."

"I am glad," he said cautiously, brushing back her hair with his left hand, "I just hope for your sake that it was not rash."


	20. Chapter 19 Crescendo Affrettando

Author's Note: This is NOT the last chapter! It may seem like it at times...but it's not. Hope the mind warpage doesn't bother you too much...enjoy and thanks again for reviewing!

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**Chapter 19 – Crescendo Affrettando **

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"Rash?" she replied, looking up at him innocently, "Why would that be?" But he did not answer, for he suddenly felt the unease close in on him. He didn't feel right close to her, he knew that he had brought her into certain danger.

"Tifa..." he began, his voice toneless, "You shouldn't be here."

"She's right where she should be," the beautiful voice nearly sung. Vincent was not surprised at the intrusion; Tiveph had a way with showing up at the right time.

Tiveph stood in the doorway, carrying an unconscious Sephiroth in his arms. He tossed the man down like a doll, and let his glowing eyes inspect Tifa, who had pried herself from Vincent's grasp. She scowled at the machine.

"What are you..." she hissed at him, her eyes taking on an unusually red tone. He laughed at her with tenor notes.

"An astronomer. Well, that's at least what I began as," he said amusedly, peering down at her as if she were a child, "I discovered Jenova, you know. Saw her streaming through the atmosphere on broken wings...such a sad sight, watching angels fall..." She scrunched her face in disgust.

"Angel! Do you know what that...THING did to your people?" she sputtered out spastically, losing herself in the heat of it all. He stared coldly at her.

"He was supposed to be the next angel," he said pointing to the still and pathetic form of Sephiroth, "But he let his own ambition get the better of him...twice. It's sad, considering how long I prepared his mother for..."

"...What did you do...?" Vincent muttered mechanically, red eyes focused on the floor. Tifa was momentarily stared at him in shock, and then turned to glare at Tiveph. Conflicting instincts assaulted Tifa; she did not know whether to fight or to comfort. She decided on neither.

"Human emotion is something that the other Cetra took for granted," he said smoothly, like a great orator ready to give his lifetime's thesis, "I saw the potential behind it. I've made it my life's work...so wonderful now that I now longer have a physical body. My execution made for ease of thinking; the body is such a burden to thought."

"Get to the point," Vincent spat out like a curse, making Tifa instinctively touch his arm. He flinched.

"Why should I tell you anything? You are nothing but a demon," he purred, letting the syllables roll effortlessly off his metallic tongue, "I have had to treat all men like you, those who dare tamper with my angels...to what fate awaits you." Tifa's fingers were tingling, and her hair felt as if it were standing on edge. She wanted to fight, she wanted to take action. And now she knew why.

"I'm always second best, aren't I?" she whispered to Tiveph, eyes narrowed into slits. He turned from his verbal assault to stare at her, with dimly lit eyes.

"Oh, hardly," he chuckled, the joyous sounds emitting from his mouth making her stomach turn, "Your line has been an asset, but for a different reason. How could I have known rejection from the human perspective? Or longing? You especially...quite a cocktail of locked emotion..."

"Leave her alone," Vincent said monotonously, his clenched fists the only indicator of his slowly boiling rage, "I will only ask you once." Tiveph grinned, that horrible jester grin of a colorfully grotesque mask.

"Then I shall let you take care of her," he said prophetically, like preaching to the masses, "You will end her horrible existence...she has served her purpose, finding you..." He waved his hand, tracing an odd pattern in the air.

Vincent felt his left hand move, tugging on his arm to follow. Tifa leapt over to his side, a worried expression on her face. He tried speaking, but no words could come out of his lips. His hand finally pulled the arm along, and it moved upwards, Vincent's gaze turning into mixed horror as his hand found its grip, its destination.

It was firmly gripped around Tifa's neck.

She was gasping for air now, her whole face pleading with him, but he could not stop the muscles...

"CHAOS!" he choked out, as her eyes closed and stopped their pleading.

_The air was still in the field, as a silvery gray haired man held up the peculiar object to the group of children. Their anxious and impatient faces were transfixed, as he demonstrated the proper use, putting his eye up to one end of it. They clapped and cheered when he told them of its purpose, each begging for a turn with this new toy, this 'telescope'..._

_**Can you hear me?**_

_The man was now walking through a primitive looking village, his aquamarine eyes glinting with pride at the woman whose hand rested gently in the crook of his arm. She was tall, and had a strange and eerie air about her, as her vibrant green eyes nearly glowed in the half light. He steered her towards his newest invention, its fires giving them a warm glow. A tall boy gingerly picked the glowing metal out with long tongs, grinning madly at the pair..._

_**Yes, I want to see you...where can I find you?**_

_The graceful people gathered, faces angry and some shaking their staves. The round stone table in the center of the crowd had many silver haired men seated around it, all with aquamarine eyes, calmly asking questions to a woman, her vibrant green eyes casting shadows on her features. Women held up sickly children, and men were busy pointing at the thing they had in the cage, its monstrous purple fur bristling at the taunts and jeers. The green eyed woman was laughing, musically tuning the scene..._

_**You have to reach for it...can you?**_

_The silver haired man was sketching a woman's catlike eye, gently tossing the pencil as he gave up the endeavor. A pretty little green eyed girl was watching him, his ageless features giving her a wide grin. He went back to his workbench, which had scattered carpenter's tools and medical assortments alike, and filled a small vile with a fluorescent liquid, stirring it vigorously with a glass rod. The girl hopped over to his side, handing him the present she had drawn, complete with a childishly scrawled label, stating 'Tiphareth' in a green crayon..._

_**I have it. What do you want me to do?**_

_A woman shouted angrily at the silver haired man, pointing next to him, where a dark haired boy stood. His solemn dark eyes looked sad, and were wistfully staring at the girl, whose brown locks tumbled about her where she lay limply on the table. The man wasn't watching the woman; he numbly stared at the girl, a trickle of water falling from his now darker blue eyes. The woman pointed to a taller man, who held a long object that glinted in the sun, curved and sharp and lovely..._

_**Pull back that part...and aim...**_

_The armor clinked as he worked, irritating his progress. He tinkered with an iron claw in front of him; it was the size of an average man's hand. He poked and prodded at it with sharp instruments, humming a little as he worked. A groan emanated from behind him, and he swiveled around, looking at the young man before him. His ruffled red hair quivered at he stirred, and his groans grew loader, as the painkillers were wearing off. His bloodied bandages were carefully wrapped around the stump that was his left hand. He threw back the visor on the helmet, revealing an empty void..._

_**I can't...I have to tell you...**_

_He dramatically pointed to calculations and drawings, his lack of a face cleverly concealed by a scarf and goggles; his entire existence covered in clothing. The lecture hall was packed with young men and women, some eagerly watching while others doodled in their notebooks. One young man sat in the front row, hunched forward eagerly, his long hair tied neatly back, a few strands falling onto his face and in front of his coldly intelligent bespectacled eyes..._

_**Please, make it quick...**_

_The spectacled man beamed at his handiwork, wiping a bit of blood off his cuff. The unconscious man was sprawled across the table, a golden claw adorning his left arm. The mechanized figure plodded over, stiffly moving in his joints. He patted the man on the back, inspecting the workings of the claw by moving the man's arm around, flexing the fingers and testing the movements of the wrist. A beautiful green eyed woman poked her head in the doorway, and the man went over to her, a smile across his face. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he rubbed her swollen stomach, while the machine stared intently with his masked face..._

**_Thank you...don't forget...me..._**

_He hid behind the tree, his mechanized parts covered by clothes, deep silver in the twilight. He was watching intently as a young girl, her dark hair swinging loosing behind her, came to the water tower, where a nervous looking blond boy sat. The girl's cinnamon eyes opened widely as the boy spoke, and her small voice exclaimed in excitement and then hastily whispered. If he had the face to do so, we would have been grinning widely, soaking up the interaction like a sponge..._

_**Thank you...for making me feel...human...**_

Tiveph scowled with his mechanical muscles as the bullet rang out, meeting its intended. He cursed under his breath, for the error in calculation, the chink in his plan. He looked over at the three forms lying around him, and bent down to pick up the obscenely long sword that lay near Sephiroth's form. With a deft and disgusted movement, he slid it effortlessly into the man's chest, and quickly pulled into out. The general spurted a little blood from his mouth reflexively, and then was still. Tiveph strode over the other two forms, ready to see if any life still existed.

"A sacrifice too soon, Tifa," he said quietly, gazing at her peaceful face, "You were the gateway to the splitting of the Lifestream...the separating of the good and bad...true justice. You, with all of humanity's weaknesses and none of its sins..."

"Perhaps it's time to test my theory," an odd voice echoed, etching a look of horror onto Tiveph's face.

* * *

Alrighty, for those who are confused...the little scenes in _italics_ are showing snippets of Tiveph's life. He used to be called Tiphareth...do a google search to figure out what that means, if you're curious The **_bold italics_** are a conversation...I'll leave it up to your reading skills to figure out who they are...


	21. Chapter 20 Back in Reality

Author's Note: This chapter takes a little of the tension out, as this story has gotten quite serious. Don't worry, you'll be able to see what happened, so enough. I plan on finishing this story this week, that's why I've been updating so quickly...

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**Chapter 20 – Back in Reality**

* * *

"Tifa!" Nanaki shouted, just moments after she disappeared. He watched as the rounded fruit fell from where her hand used to be, landing with a light thump on the ground. He sniffed at the fruit for a moment, and then sunk his fangs into its flesh. His lips curled and he spat it out again, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Apples?!" he said incredulously, "More like gym socks..." He sputtered some more, tongue lolling out of his mouth every couple of seconds. The taste would not go away.

"Godammit! Tifa! Red! Get your asses back here and untie me!" came Cid's inevitable shouts, muffled by the walls of the ship. Nanaki gave one last look at the statue, and for a moment almost thought it winked. He shook his head and ambled over to the ship.

_Some Time Later, Elsewhere..._

"What happened?" the man said, looking directly up at the sky as he lay on his back. He hazarded to sit up, feeling his stomach reel as he did so.

"Where are all the others? Did we succeed?" he said cautiously, woozily turning his head to take in his surroundings. There were trees, grass and bluest skies; a surreal world indeed. His memory felt sticky, and he pried at it, grasping around for the images, for the words.

He decided to look down at himself. The first thing his noticed was the bloodstain, abloom in the field of silver that was his clothing.

"What..." he began, but suddenly felt foolish talking aloud. Maybe it was the feeling of his voice, or his sudden embarrassment that triggered it, for a rush of images flooded his brain.

"Lucrecia...Hojo..." he muttered, hoping to hold his mind in place for a moment, "I hope that the Lifestream suits you..." His senses were suddenly overtaken by exhaustion, and he fell back to the ground.

"Surrender..." he whispered, closing his eyes.

_Elsewhere..._

"Do you think she'll reappear?" Cid asked cautiously, stubbornly chewing on the stub of an unlit cigarette. Nanaki stared up at him, his eyes glazed with worry. They had been waiting for some time now, and the sun was beginning to set. Cid peered at the orange hue, waiting for something to settle in his mind.

"I don't know," Nanaki said, feeling weary and afraid. He knew how she handled things, and worried that she might put herself into unnecessary danger.

"Ah, don't worry, Red," Cid said, suddenly cheerful, "We've seen her in battle before; she's a real tiger, that one." He found the match, holding it in front of his face a few moments, considering it. Then he struck it casually against a strip of metal on the strap of his goggles, bringing it to light the cigarette. He puffed.

Something stirred within the bowels of his ship, and Cid was momentarily caught off balance. Nanaki smirked as he nearly toppled, but soon realized the reasons for his loss of control. The ship was moving.

"The hell?" Cid gasped, noticing that the various levers he used to control the ship were moving of their own accord. He tried to approach them, but felt a chilling numbness pass through his limbs. He could not move, not even to remove the cigarette from his mouth.

"I can't move..." Nanaki informed him, straining his face a little. Cid snorted.

"I hope we're landing soon," he mumbled, gritting his teeth. Almost in response, he felt its descent.

"How far could we have gone?" Nanaki asked, glancing around as best he could without being able to turn his head. Cid exhaled.

"A few miles," he said tiredly, "She's a fucking fast ship, but we weren't airborne long."

Nanaki, with his view of the window, noticed the man first, a small speck against the land, which steadily took on human form as they got nearer.

The light shaking of the ship told them they had landed. Cid tried to move, and oddly, felt a slow heat building as he regained control of his muscles. They heard a light rapping on the hull, and Cid nearly jumped. Nanaki smirked.

"Open the door," he told Cid, watching as the man was vainly sorting out things in his head. He gave up and complied with Nanaki's request.

They stared for endless moments at the figure standing just beyond the door, unable to comprehend the reasons he stood before them.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost," the man said, idly scratching behind his ear.

"Ah..." Cid began, but couldn't finish. It was Nanaki who found his voice first.

"Cloud?" the beast asked cautiously, straining his feline eyes, "Why are you wearing Sephiroth's clothes?"

"Sephiroth's?!" Cloud said skittishly, holding out part of his shirt as if it would burn him. Cid chuckled.

"Definitely Cloud," he said, gaining back his usual ease. Nanaki was not as accepting, however.

"Are you the one she called...Surrender?" he hissed, eyes narrowed and intently gazing at him. Cloud shrugged.

"I can't convince you, I suppose," he said, still inspecting his garment warily, "But maybe I can tell you a story."

"Story? What kind of damn story?" Cid snorted out, having gotten himself a new cigarette, after flicking away the previous one with disgust.

"I have all these strange memories," he began, carefully walking into the ship, "I saw Lucrecia, and Hojo..." He found a seat, sitting down and holding his head.

"They told me I couldn't die properly," he said quietly, brow furrowed, "That I also couldn't exist in the real world. That is why I was with them."

"Damn voodoo sort of crazy stuff," Cid muttered, giving Cloud a sideways glance. The blond man shrugged again.

"It's almost like when I was in the Lifestream," he continued, rubbing his temples, "But I knew I wasn't there. I remember seeing you all, after the fight...and then there was this man, but he wasn't a man...and he talked in riddles, with a haunting voice. After that, I was in this strange place."

Nanaki and Cid were silent, transfixed on their former leader.

"And Tifa..." his eyes grew wide for a moment, "What happened to her? I remember something strange, she was crying, and I was making her so, telling her things...and I could hear Lucrecia whispering to me 'You have to fight him. You can control him, if you have the strength' and I just wanted to make her stop crying..." He bowed his head for a moment.

"Do you know where she is now?" Nanaki asked forcefully, desperately. Cloud shook his head.

"What have I done?" he said, looking up at them with a haggard expression, "How long have I been gone? Did she pull the trigger...?" Nanaki's eyes widened.

"Cloud," Nanaki began, his voice gentle, "Did you see her? And what of Vincent?" Cloud starting shaking his head violently, covering his ears.

"Tifa!" he gasped, now clutching his chest, "I wasn't strong enough...go. Go! You have to hurry!" He spasmed and slumped over, the last of his strength worn.

* * *

Yes, he's alive. Why? Do you remember from earlier, someone said that Sephiroth and he cannot exist in the same world together? Well...you can guess where Sephiroth is now...


	22. Chapter 21 Coda Act I

Author's Note: I split this chapter in two because it's two different points of view. Same time frame, kinda...there's a little bit of time warpage, you'll figure it out a little as you read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Coda Act I**

* * *

Tifa opened her eyes, and saw that she was no longer in the room; at least as it had previously been. Everything that should have been solid now had lines around it that jiggled like someone wasn't holding the camera steady. She also noticed that the objects in the room, like the forgotten table at the far end, passed through her hands like ghosts. The she saw her own body, slumped onto the floor, holding Vincent's gun in her right hand, and his hand in her left.

_I must be dead. There is no other explanation...and I killed him too. I always knew that happy endings were too good to be true..._

She saw that Tiveph was still standing, the ethereal blade of the Masamune covered in faint blood. Her vision felt strained, seeing everything in the half light.

Then again, Tiveph was clear as day.

She noticed finally that he didn't look like a machine at all, he kind of reminded her of an old and almost kindly looking Sephiroth. The pale skeletal feel of the machinery lingered, like a double exposed photograph, but the human image was stronger. She finally found the pieces from Chaos's projections...the man from her memory and the man standing before her were one.

His deepening blue eyes finally focused on her. There was no time in this place, and she felt its absence keenly, as he stared at her for undetermined periods.

"Am I dead?" she asked, feeling the hollowness of a voice that didn't sound like her own.

"If you choose to be," he answered, sounding less than beautiful, the enhancement of mechanical speech gone, "You are in between, where the lost souls go."

A groan echoed in this strange world, piercing through the white veiled silence.

"You are lucky, you know," he commented strangely, his physical self inspecting her cast off body, "You have nothing that would prevent you from entering the Lifestream. You could finally rest."

_**Tifa! Did you pull the trigger?**_

"What was that?" she asked, feeling the strangeness of the voice, "...Vincent?"

_**You must hurry!**_

"Your are still so tied to the living," he observed, still inspecting her form, "It's cruel how you no longer recognize his voice..." His voice in the physical realm was saying strange things, but she could only see the artificial movements of his prosthetic lips.

"Cloud?" she whispered, the breathiness of the word filling up the void. Tiveph nodded, unruly strands of silver hair falling into his blue eyes.

"He has been granted passage into the living," he muttered, the gravel scraping of the syllables making the wavering lines jagged, "Lucrecia has betrayed me. She could always overpower the being I attached to her...Emotions are so frail sometimes."

She would have gasped if she had breath to do so. The pale silhouette of Vincent had risen, his mouth speaking a few words that she could not hear. She would have smirked in response to Tiveph's stone faced horror, etched into every metal and fiber of his physical self.

"He can't die, Tiveph," she said knowingly, the echo filling his eyes, "This is what you and Hojo created...and what will destroy you." He laughed; a lackluster tremble.

"If he destroys my physical form, I will just make a new one..." he sneered, a sandpaper on metal sound, "I will just find your descendants, and use them. The Exulted will rise again, for he cannot die...and when all of your friends are dead, he will have no distractions.

**_Hurry! Did you pull the trigger...?_**

Vincent was holding the gun, silent and deadly, like he always tried to be. His left hand was shaking uncontrollably, blurred in her vision.

"I only wanted to give their dreams reality," Tiveph spoke without malice, "They, with their 'Heaven' and their 'Hell'. All he had to do was kill you, this demon I created...and you would have gone running into your beloved's arms."

Vincent stood in suspended animation, for this world had no time, no measure of passing.

"My 'beloved'? You killed him!" she cried like a banshee, the sounds tore and ripped, "You put this 'Emotion' in control...he wasn't right, I felt so confused..." Tiveph's lip curled.

Vincent's hand began shaking again, but his other hand, his gun hand was oddly steady.

"We can still make it happen," he began calmly, "If you choose: Heaven or Hell." He held up his left hand, splitting the image of the room in two. She saw the cockpit of Cid's ship, with an exhausted Cloud slumped over in his seat. His lips were muttering something...

_**Go! Go...I understand...**_

She reached her incorporeal hand towards the gun; she felt his warm fingers...

"If you choose Heaven, I can assure you he will meet you there," Tiveph kept his voice from scratching, blue eyes pulsing, "And you will have fulfilled your purpose. You have all the experience and all of the purity necessary."

_**I should have told you so long ago...**_

Her body melded in with his own, her eyes matching his, red and cinnamon mingling...

"If you choose Hell, you will meet your demon," Tiveph kept steady, seemingly unaware of her movements, "You will have damned all of humanity in the process. Is his life worth that much?"

_**I love you...but...go to him...**_

Their hands, a subtle and steady movement, pulled the trigger.

"I choose the Lifestream," she said defiantly, as the two bullets floated through the air, "I want to save them both."

"Wait for me in the stars..." he whispered, "My dearest...Jenova..."

They met their mark.

_The little girl peered over her, tickling her nose with a daisy. Tifa opened her eyes, assaulted by the sunshine in the meadow. The girl giggled, brown hair bouncing as she did so._

"_I know you..." Tifa said, smiling widely. The girl handed her the daisy._

"_You chose well, granddaughter," the girl whispered in her ear. Tifa gasped, eliciting another giggle from the girl. Then the girl traipsed off towards a woman, whose sparkling green eyes danced. _

She opened her eyes, the solid feel of reality sinking in. She sat up quickly, noticing the two fallen figures. She fumbled over to him, unsteady on her feet. She crouched down, pressing her ear on his chest, not feeling the heartbeat...

* * *

Author's Note: The voice in the **_bold italics_** is Cloud. Yep. Just my interepretation of how he felt, don't kill me Cleris fans. Although, this isn't a Cloti either. Hmm. The "little girl" is from that one little dreamy like sequence Tifa had, as well as Chaos's "projections" about his own life. So, essentially, in my messed up geneology, Lucrecia and Tifa are kinda related (Tifa's grandma is Lucrecia's aunt). Weird, I know, but I felt like it. Ok, this is long enough, get to reading the second part...


	23. Chapter 22 Coda Act II

Author's Note: _Finally_ the conclusion. I'll be writing an epilogue after this, but this is really the last chapter. Hope you like the ending!

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Coda Act II**

* * *

"Perhaps it's time to test my theory," he said coldly, struggling to stand. The bullet wound stung, but it would only be a matter of time until it healed. 

He reached for the gun automatically, trying desperately to steady the shaking of his free hand.

_**Do not fear...**_

"I figured this time would come," Tiveph conceded, relaxing his tensing, "I made Chaos a little too strong. I should have separated you before she came..." Vincent cleared his throat.

"Enough. Tell me what you were going to do with her," he said sternly, gun held steady. Tiveph sighed.

"I never wanted to become a god," he began, eyes searching Vincent's expression, "I was more interested in the humans, with their strong will to survive. The Cetra never had that; they relied too much on the Planet's favor. So when I found them, their primitive scribbles about this 'Heaven'...and this 'Hell'...I sought the means to bring it to reality."

"I said enough. Answer my question," Vincent said irritatedly, adjusting his grip on the handle. Tiveph smirked.

_**Please, stop mourning...**_

"Your kind was originally meant to be their guardians," he continued, wiping his forehead, "To protect them. You were Lucrecia's...but when she did not take well to you, preferring my student, I had to put you with all the rest...demons. You are a failure, Vincent Valentine, and you always will be."

"So are you," Vincent replied venomously.

"Perfection," Tiveph strained, "She was that unexpected bit of genealogy, from a line I thought would be useless. Lucrecia's aunt had a child that burgundy eyes; an abnormality. The child's granddaughter...she was the last piece of the legend. Her sacrifice would bring about my rest." Vincent raised an eyebrow.

_**Wait for her, she is fighting...**_

"You would have killed her, then?" he asked monotonously pulling back the hammer on the outdated gun. Tiveph shook his head.

"No, you would have killed her, much like you did now...I would have freed her," he answered coldly, "Freed her from what life had done to her. I only wanted a place where I could exist...where Jenova could exist, free from the tyrannical grip of this putrid planet!"

_**Can you feel her? Now!**_

He pulled the trigger, the sound of the bullet rushing through the air. Vincent's vision was turning black, and he felt heavier, like he was being pulled into water...

"You can live in oblivion, then," he whispered, feeling his eyelids fall over his eyes.

_**Why do you still hold on to me?**_

_She wrinkled her nose and struggled to hold back a sneeze as the dust was disturbed. He looked up, seeing her odd expression, and then flicked his eyes over to the blond man, who was staring. He scowled, agitated by the disturbance. Then her face grew soft, as she looked at the blond man wistfully..._

**_Because I failed. As I have failed again. _**

_She was staring into the fire, when he silently came to sit across from her. She smiled at him cautiously, trying to take a peek at what lay behind his collar. He stiffened and pulled it up higher. She sighed and smiled broadly as the blond man sat next to her, his form expressing confidence. Then other girl then walked over, carelessly plopping herself between the two..._

_**Why do you think that?**_

_She was standing on the deck, her dark hair whipping behind her. He cautiously approached, standing a few feet away. She smiled broadly, chattering to him with a friendly voice. Her eyes were tired, and he knew she had stayed up watching the man again. She gave him a quick thumbs up, the word "friend" echoing through his mind..._

**_She came for me, but I could not protect her._**

_She looked tired, absently wiping the counter down. He sat on a stool near the end, eyes focused on the empty glass. Her movements reflected in its depths, giving him a wry grin. She playfully flicked the towel at him, laughing. He pried it off his shoulder gingerly, waiting until she turned her back to aim..._

_**My soul can be at peace, but you must let go.**_

_She held out the box, a light blush on her cheeks. He had a hard time steadying himself, for the effects of alcohol made balance difficult. He opened it slowly, and grabbed for the small object. The necklace dangled from his claw hand, revealing its secrets. Tears flowed hastily down her cheeks, and he reached for her shoulder..._

_**I can let you go...but will I ever see her again?**_

_She was smiling...he often noticed her smiling, when she thought he wasn't looking..._

**_I have forgiven you, please, open your eyes._**

He saw burgundy first, opened wide. Her hands were positioned on his chest, suggesting she had been attempting to revive him. Her face was close, like she had breathed the life back into him.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Tifa."

* * *

Author's Note: Game quote. Had to end it with a game quote. Couldn't help but bring that little CPR bit from earlier back...it's such a nice image in my mind...yes mush...ugh... The person with the **_bold italic_** text is none other than...Lucrecia! Mirrors Tifa's hearing Cloud's voice. So, ya, she can go to the Lifestream now...as can Hojo. He may be a baddie, but he deserves some rest. The blocks of _italic_ are memories of Tifa... God, I love this little story, I'm sad to see it end...well, there's always that little epilogue...I have a few loose ends to tie up :) I'll have more to say in the epilogue's a/n, so stay tuned!

Oh, and Cobalt Dragonfly...I didn't kill them...well not for long. I like them to much to let them stay dead. Your reaction was exactly what I wanted...I like creating an emotional response...sorry if I scared you.


	24. Epilogue A Gift: Reprise

Author's Note: The real end...(tears up) hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it...

* * *

**Epilogue – A Gift: Reprise**

* * *

_One Year Later..._

"His eyes glowed with a crazed green hue..."

He watched as her hands deftly wove the tale along with her words; animated and lively. Thirteen pairs of eyes were transfixed from where they sat around her, occasionally interjecting with excitement, or surprise, or fear. One pair of eyes was watching her from the back of the room, reluctant to intrude on the scene.

"But the brave Zane stood tall, trying to hide his shaking hand..."

He noticed that Wright, Cid's son, was among the children sitting there, closest to the front. He fidgeted as he sat there, but his face looked intensely interested. A shy girl, probably around twelve years old had noticed him, flicking her dark brown eyes over to where he stood. He gave her a nod, and she turned away, blushing furiously.

"'I forgive you' the beautiful woman said, 'please, open your eyes' and he saw..."

The children all knew the ending: Zane woke up to see his friend Rosie trying to save him. Yet, they all had their own theories about what would happen afterwards, for that is where the story abruptly ended. Still, despite, it was their favorite tale.

"Alright, now, it's time for you all to be heading to bed," Tifa said merrily, ignoring the whines and moans as she did so. He felt a lopsided smile on his face.

"Did he kiss her?" one girl said, the token romantic, and only at ten years of age. Tifa shook her head.

"Bedtime," she said gently, "The story is over. Maybe you'll find the answer in your dreams." She gently patted her hair, making the young girl giggle.

"Maybe!" she answered happily, "And they'll live happily ever after!" Tifa smiled broadly.

"Of course," she whispered, ushering them from the main area of the room to their beds. One girl was staring over at a corner of the room, shyly trying to keep it hidden.

"I think you have an admirer," Tifa said to the corner, low enough so the girl wouldn't hear. She heard a small chuckle.

"Perhaps," he answered, stepping out towards the light, "You've gotten quite good at telling that story." She signaled him to follow her, as she began to exit the room.

"Goodnight!" she said cheerfully, flicking off the light to the room as she crossed the doorframe.

"You'll scare them one of these days," she said with a hushed voice, "Sneaking in like that..." He smirked.

"You seem to be doing well," he said, a little louder as they were finally out of earshot. She tiredly ran a hand through her now shorter hair.

"Yes, but they are a handful," she admitted, stifling a small yawn, "...It's good to see you, Vincent." He grinned.

"Would you like to take a walk?" he asked, extending his left hand. She nodded, and followed him towards the door.

_A Little Later..._

"So you found him then," she muttered, relaxingly following his stride, "Somewhere around Gongaga?" He nodded.

"Cloud has been all over the place," he replied, absently tucking a piece of his shorter hair behind his ear, "from what he tells me. He's trying to get back the years he missed."

"Yes," she sighed, "Poor Cloud. He's so mixed up in his head sometimes..."

"Which is what confuses me," he interrupted uncharacteristically, "Why didn't he just stay here with you?" She stopped walking, and curiously eyed something on the ground.

"How's Yuffie taking care of my bar?" she said avoidantly, changing the subject, "Has she destroyed it yet?" He didn't answer.

"...Why didn't you stay here?" she whispered, crouching down to inspect the flower she had been gazing at.

"You know why," he whispered back, crouching down also, "complicated." She absently tickled the flower's petals.

"I told him he needed to find his own answers," she breathed, finally answering his question, "So I could find mine." He stood up abruptly.

"So did I..." he said carefully, back turned, "It is odd...having my mind to myself, after all those years. I almost...miss them." She slowly stood up herself, the pink blossom in her trembling hand.

"I found that legend," she spoke calmly, causing him to turn around, "About the demon. My mother had it...it was with me all along. It also had my...family tree."

"I know," he said quietly, sheepishly looking at her, "You and her are...distant relations. You don't look like her, though." Tifa scowled. He chuckled.

"You're a different kind of beautiful," he mumbled, hoping she didn't hear. She did, but pretended not to notice.

"Oh hell," she muttered, her face arguing with itself. He looked at her, perplexed.

"What is it?" he asked, eyebrows raised. She shook her head.

"I can't leave the children for long," she answered, twirling her flower without thought, "I need to get back..." He quickly grabbed her hand, depositing something in it. She didn't even notice for a moment, taken aback by the sudden contact.

She opened it, peering at the delicate necklace resting in her palm. She carefully picked it up with her other hand, dropping the flower in the process. It had a deep red stone, nearly the same color as her eyes.

"What is this?" she asked, peering over at him curiously. He was giving one of those rare full smiles.

"It reminded me of you," he whispered. Her voice felt strange in her throat, especially hearing his words echoed back at her.

"Will you stay?" she finally gasped out. He nodded, gently putting his left hand on her shoulder, guiding her back towards the house.

"So this is how it ends..." she whispered, casually taking his free hand, pleased to see that he did not flinch.

* * *

Now time for the obnoxiously long Author's Note (only because the story is over...): 

**About the epilogue: **Confused about the whole necklace thing? Well, remember from earlier, when Vincent was fiddling with a necklace that he had on...guess who gave it to him? Tifa. I've actually got a little story (humorous too) about it...called _October the 13th_ Read it if you want something a little on the fluffier (though not total fluff) side.

I'm considering doing a sequel...for I couldn't let the ending go to total sap...or have crazy confessions of love or anything...doesn't fit in my mind.

**Some theme songs (which will explain so much about this fic):**

Overall Themes: _Porcelain_ Moby (When played at least five times in succession), _Clocks _Coldplay (explains the dreamlike sequences), and _The Pain of Mediocrity_ Chris J. Emanuel (go indie techno!)

Tifa's Themes: _Not My Idea _Garbage, _The Dream Within _Lara Fabian, _Mercy Street _Peter Gabriel, and _Dark Blue (full version) _No Doubt (Gwen Stephani has the voice I imagine Tifa has)

Vincent's Themes: _I Grieve_ Peter Gabriel, _Bring Me the Disco King (Loner Mix) _David Bowie (Bowie's voice is actually the voice I imagine Vincent having...), _The Sky is Broken_ Moby, and _Awakening _The Damning Well

Tiveph's Themes: _Judith (Renholder Mix)_ A Perfect Circle and _Green Eyes_ Coldplay

Sephiroth's Themes: _Death Dealer's Descent _Renholder and _As Heaven is Wide _Garbage

Cid's Theme: _It's the End of the World _REM (imagine drunken singing...ya)

Nanaki's Theme: _Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) _Styx (seems like something he would tell someone...maybe Cloud...)

Obsession's (Hojo's) Theme: _Psycho Killer _The Talking Heads (he he)

Annihilation's (Lucrecia's) Theme: _The Scientist _Coldplay (obvious? ya.)

Surrender's (Cloud's) Themes: _What Else Do I Need_ Vast and _Go_ Andy Hunter

Other Influences: _Underworld_ Soundtrack and Score, FF7 and FF8 Piano Collections, FF7 OST, select songs from FF8 OST, and select songs from the Spiderman Soundtrack

**THANK YOU TO...**

**La Atressa: **For being my first reviewer ever, and having a really cool homepage. It was very entertaining.

**C.R. Carter:** For being my first regular reader...ever... Also, cause she's really cool and writes fantastic stuff.

**Cobalt Dragonfly: **For helping me to appreciate romance and reacting so funnily (word?) to chapter 20. Email her and tell her to write more (kidding, I know you're busy)

**Ikleeshumo: **For reading my little known fic and many other things of mine...your criticism and support have helped me improve greatly.

**Humor Queen Merc:** For introducing me to fanfiction and letting me sit on her bed with my laptop to write this story. Also, for letting me talk about all the crazy stories in my head even though she hasn't played FF7 or any RPG for that matter...

**The Highwaywoman:** For being such a nice multiple times reviewer. It helped me to keep writing.

**Hoheehum:** For FANART! (which I still would like to see...) and being so kind.

**Zelda6:** For wonderfully long reviews...and great email. I'll be sure to mention ya when I finish _Interlude_ too (which will probably be a looong time from now).

**And anyone else I left out:** Sorry, this author's note's gotta end...


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